Written by: Karen Kirk
Marie Belcastro celebrates a fine trout on her first-ever day of fly fishing.
All photos by Karen Kirk
[Editor’s note: We received this wonderful story and photos from Orvis customer Karen Kirk and just had to share them.]
My mother, Marie Belcastro, learned to fly-fish on her 90th birthday! My husband taught her to roll cast, and off she went to catch her first trout. This happy event occurred at Rockwell Springs Trout Club in Clyde, Ohio.
It didn’t take long for Marie to be bitten by the fishing bug.
She fell in love with the sport. She had never picked up a fishing rod in her life before that weekend at Rockwell Springs, but we created a fly-fishing enthusiast As a result, we’ve spent her last five birthday weekends fly-fishing. These photos are from her 90th birthday, with one photo of her 94th!
Marie is always the last one off the water.
Mom has never been an outdoor girl, but she’s the last one in for lunch, the last one off the stream at night, and doesn’t mind fishing in the rain one bit.
The joy of the catch is something Marie can share with three generations of anglers in her family.
We introduced our grand-daughters to fly-fishing when they were 3 and 5 on that same day that mom first learned. Truly, fly fishing is a sport for people of all ages. What a wonderful gift my husband gave to my mother in her golden years. It’s a generational gift …one she shares with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Who knows? We may send you a photo when she turns 100. (She might just want to celebrate in Montana by then.)
This year, Marie celebrated her 94th birthday with another trip to the trout club.
Big smile on my face!
Another reason to get up in the morning, for years to come. Good for her 🙂
Great story, that smile says it all!
Wonderful story and Marie is a wonderful person. I think John Kirk likes older women. He taught me how to fly fish at 7 at Rockwell Springs. Maybe I can do 80 when Marie does 100!
Marie looks great! Lucky her to take up fly fishing! She’ll stay young and you’ll get to enjoy every minute with her. Cathie
I think my GG is a great lady and I love her very much. She is a good fisher lady.
GG is the best fisher I have seen around so far she is so inspirational and full of sports of fishing and the best fisher I have ever seen.
Oh my gosh, I wrote this back in 2014. It’s been 6 years since this comment was put up on this website. 🙂 I am Angelina and yes, this is my comment. I am now in high school and this website shows pictures of my grandpa and great grandmother (2017) who passed away. I keep her in my thoughts everyday and never forget the happy memories of how much light my gg shed into our family.
I hate to see this generation go away.. They Truly were ‘THEE GREATEST GENERATION” But in this case, I truly hate to see and cannot understand why Marie had to “go away” in the manner she did…… I don’t question God’s work…… I’m as religious as Marie was, but in this case, it was not God’s work, it was Satan’s work that exuded and we will never understand but perhaps may have to accept it. I pray now every day for Marie’s daughters of Debbie and Karen to find peace and some type of healing in order to dismiss the horrific pictures from their minds………
Thank you : )
Bless you Brian, and your family. I just learned about your Grandmother. Such a special lady. I hope you have found some peace