It was with sadness that I learned of the passing of Dick Geldard today. I knew Dick well, fished with him often and during the season we often compared notes on places that were hot.
 |
| Dick Geldard holds a keeper striper that was taken last fall in Narragansett. He was a surf legend along the RI south shore oceanfront. |
Dick will forever be known as one of the best surf fishermen that ever fished the RI shoreline. Dick was in his eighties but still fished along the rocks and sands of the south shore just about every day up until his passing. He could maneuver along rocky shores like a mountain goat, and he had the stamina to outfish and outlast fishermen fifty years younger than him. He had a zest for life and was one of the most enthusiastic fishermen I have ever met.
He knew the RI oceanfront like no one else. He knew every hole, pocket and rip that existed along the shore from Narragansett to Westerly, and he knew how to fish them. He was deadly with a bucktail jig, and he made all his own jigs and floats which Snug Harbor would carry. His bucktails were in high demand. I saw many occasions where he would just hand them out to fellow fishermen. One day I went back to my vehicle which was parked at a Weekpaug Beach and there was a bucktail under my windshield wiper. It was one of Dick's signature moves to let me know he was there earlier.
Dick was well known as a tournament fishermen and often won the surf striper category in the club tournaments and other tournaments held in Narragansett. He also fished extensively in freshwater. He also often talked about fishing for smallmouth bass in Maine with his son. They went up to the cabin for weeks at a time.
I'm sure I will feel Dick's presence when I start fishing the oceanfront in the spring. He had his spots that he loved and cherished, and we often fished those places together. He will be missed.
