Many
years ago (before color film and computers),
a couple by the names of Joe and Anna Penxa were instrumental in
creating my love of the Pigeon River Country. Distant relatives of mine, their love
of trout fishing and the Pigeon River Country somehow found it's way to me through camping trips
on the
Pigeon with my parents. A unique couple, Joe was a Detroit cop who spent his
summers
camping and fishing the Pigeon, Black and Sturgeon rivers, and winters tying flies and building split bamboo fly rods.
Anna cooked pies and tended to the daily chores of a homemaker. I can only
guess when some of these photos were taken, probably the 1940's to
1950's. I still use several of Joe's Pflueger Medalist reels and
handmade fly rods. Dale Clarke Franz, in chapter 15 of his book "The
Pigeon River Country", tells a nice story about Joe and Anna, and
the bad mushrooms Joe mixed with too much beer! I wish I could have
appreciated what they knew while they were still with us.
