I first met Dennis Aprill back in 2002 at ESPN's Great Outdoor Games in Lake Placid.
This was back when the term "green" meant inexperienced, and that's exactly where I was at in my outdoor writing career. However, Outdoors Magazine, a hook-and-bullet publication that at the time was primarily northeast-based, had recently picked me up as a columnist to represent the southern Adirondacks, also known as the Foothills Region. Dennis was already a columnist there so he and I were both covering the Adirondacks.
I knew Dennis was a professor at Plattsburgh State, my college alma matter, and that he also lived in Black Brook. This was an area I was very partial to as during my college days I hunted, fished, hiked and camped at Taylor Pond. I also owned a copy of his book, "Good Fishing in the Adirondacks." Thus, we had plenty to talk about.
Since I was the new guy on the block, I watched the other writers and remember how comfortable Dennis was, not only around them but also the athletes competing in the Outdoor Games. The real celebrities were the professional bass anglers and he talked with them like he knew them for ages. Over time, I learned to do the same by emulating people like him.
As my writing career grew, I eventually joined the New York State Outdoor Writers Association (NYSOWA) and in 2006 I attended my first conference, which was held here in Plattsburgh. Dennis was a long-standing member and he and his wife, Kathy, attended the conference. If I recall correctly, he walked off with a couple of awards that evening, just as he had before, and would after.
It was at this NYSOWA conference where I picked his brain about book publishing as I was just getting started on my own book project. He was more than happy to answer my questions.
As time went on, Dennis would share much more insight with me. We spent some time together at last year's fall conference in Lake Placid. He also visited me at Taylor Pond when I spent a weekend there last summer. Regular readers of Dennis's material know that he was well-traveled. This was evident in the pages of books like "Good Fishing" and "Paths Less Traveled." But when you looked at Dennis's photos of the Northwest and Alaska and heard the adventurous stories of his trips there, you couldn't help but be envious.
Nearly two years ago, when Dennis's longtime friend Fran Betters could no longer supply material for the Outdoors Page for the Press-Republican, Dennis contacted me about helping out with some hunting and fishing coverage on the Adirondacks. This was as big a compliment as anyone had ever paid me and for which I'll always be grateful to Dennis. He also bestowed on me the honor of updating the Lake George chapter for the third printing of "Good Fishing in the Adirondacks," which was released earlier this year.
Like many of you readers, I'm really going to miss Dennis and our friendly working relationship. I know that I am just one of the many lives touched by this man who was taken from us far too soon. It's quite a legacy he leaves behind and some very tough shoes to fill.
I hope somewhere he and Fran are on the river, tying up a few Ausable Wulfs and wetting a few lines. My sincere condolences to all who knew and loved this very generous man.
Dan Ladd is the author of "Deer Hunting in the Adirondacks," outdoors editor for the Glens Falls Chronicle, columnist for Outdoors Magazine and contributor to New York Outdoor News. Contact him at www.adkhunter.com.
