I met Al Crise five years ago on a cold, windy January Saturday in New Braunfels, where he had come to teach kids to fly cast in a city park swimming pool temporarily stocked with trout. The blustery weather did not dampen his enthusiasm, and the kids found it contagious. Over the years, he has reappeared at such events, an elfin twinkle in his eyes, an infectious laugh at the ready, a treasure trove of fly fishing gear and teaching materials overflowing his camper pickup.

Knowing Al is one of the pleasures of living in North Texas and participating in its fly fishing community, and I consider it a privilege.

I'm sure he'll apply the same energy and enthusiasm to managing his life with cancer, and I wish him the best.

That's very sad news. Al is a great guy. Every time I spent a little time with him, my casting got better. My prayers are definitely with him... Pray God does a miracle there!

I've met Al a few times. Super guy. I'm on his CCI mailing list hoping to one day take the big step. He's one of the fishers who has shared knowledge without asking anything in return. I wish more fly fishers would share knowledge and laughs like him, he's good for the sport.
Prayers

Met Al twice, very cool dude. Hoping for the best for him.

This is the one reason I miss being 'home'. I have been in Iraq for 2 years, and the one thing I had put on my 'bucket list' was to have Ol' Al to fast-track me through the CCI course when I get home in October. I will have some time on my hands, and the CCI has been on my radar ever since I met Al - maybe five or six years ago - and I fell in love with the art of casting a fly.

No one, in my opinion, has meant more to Fly Fishing in North Texas than Allen Crise. No one has meant more to my experience of the sport than my friend, Allen Crise.

I have been out of the loop - out of the country for a solid 2 years, and I really hate to get news like this about Al's health. I hope I can contribute 1/10th of what Al has to our sport.

Thanks for posting this shocking news. I'll see you guys in October...

JR

Sorry to hear about the news. Gonna have to pay Al a visit soon.

No one, in my opinion, has meant more to Fly Fishing in North Texas than Allen Crise. No one has meant more to my experience of the sport than my friend, Allen Crise.

Amen to that quote!!! Al is one great guy, and would do anything to help anyone. He has meant so much to our club, the FWFFers!!
I have fished with him a few times, and he really enjoys people, teaching others, and just being in the experience. Here is a couple of pics, of a trip I went with him, and many others, including Jim Teeny. Al loves catching those sandies on the Nolan!! Never did I see Al, without a smile, and wanting to spread the word about flyfishing, to anyone who wanted to hear about it!!







Hang in there Al!!!!!!!!

TroutBum summed it up. Once I was heading up a fly fishing clinic at the McKinney Derby. Al drove from Glen Rose to McKinney on an evening's notice to run the clinic - for free. All he would take was a hamburger afterwards and he was tickled to be there.

Dave is right, it's time to head on down there for a visit.

I may have more to say later, but this is a humbling day in my world.

I'll be seeing you soon Al.

Robin, LHD, ANYONE that is going down to Glen Rose to see him,

PLEASE, PLEASE tell Al "Hello" from J.R. in Iraq. I would love to catch the next helicopter out of here so I could deliver the message myself, but it just doesn't work quite that way.

I had volunteered to help Al with one of the Saturday Casting Clinics at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine. He was out there on the hot asphalt almost all day without a break. Like Robin said, when I walked over to Whataburger to buy him lunch, he almost wouldn't accept the gift - after he had driven up from Glen Rose on his own dime.

Never a better man has touched so many people in such an unselfish way.

Hang in there, Al!!!! It's time for a miracle...

JR

Damn-
Local Legend... Hats off to you my friend...

Prayers and good thoughts for you.

hey...i misspoke about one minor point:

it's not in his stomach. it IS in his lymph system.

rrhyne said, "humbling." that got me to thinking:

i wonder how many of us will leave as big of a hole in the fly fishing community when we are knocked on our backs by health problems? i wonder how many of us will leave much of a hole at all?

a mentor of mine once said to me that the true measure of a man's life is the size hole he leaves when he's gone, and that this is pretty humbling even for the "biggest" of us because if you want a good hint of how that works just stick your hand in a bucket of water and pull it out.

guys like al are extremely rare. they leave a hole that isn't easily or quickly filled.

You are exactly right about that. He is our Lefty Kreh, Dave Whitlock, and a true gentleman.

I met this man in 2002 at a Fort Worth Fly Fishers get together off Bryant Irving Rd. I had been fly fishing for a while by then, but was still learning the ropes. Al took one look at my casting and told me exactly what to do to fix it. In a few minutes this man corrected and showed me what dozens of books and Internet articles couldn't.

I really hate to hear this news, Texas needs more men like Allen Crise.

Yup... Good guy, anyone who says different has never met the guy.

I only met Al once at a Fort Worth Fly fishers meeting and was impressed by his genuine love for all things fly fishing. He was the only person that talked to me that night and made me feel welcome. My thoughts are with you.

Well I certainly won't be leaving a hole if I were to pass on fly fishing wise. I can barely cast myself, much less teach others. I did however enjoy your story very much. I enjoyed it so much I am going to show that to my teenagers and explain it a little. Al will be greatly missed. It ain't over till the fat lady sings though. I have seen people with cancer like this stick around for quite a while. When my son was first getting into fly fishing last fall...Al offered to give my son a free lesson. All I had to do was drive my boy there. My son did not want to do that, even though I tried to tell him Al was a great guy to learn from, and if I HAD THE MONEY...I'd get lessons from him MYSELF...lol. Well my son got one lesson from me one late afternoon/early evening. We spent maybe 30 minutes with a rod...and that was it. My son thinks he knows how to cast now, and does not want any tips or pointers. He thinks he has got it. Sigh. Anyway, Al is the kind of guy that loves his sport so much, he wants others to catch his love for fly fishing...and he sacrifices his time, and energy to help others. There are very few guys like him. I only met him once and that was in Athens this year. I ended up getting another casting instructor that morning. I tried to learn the double haul and I never quite got it....I was close though.