Gene Hart - Local Legend and R4R’s Fly-Tying Magician
What do you do if you have a passion for fly fishing and tying flies and you are hit with a debilitating disease that severely limits the use of your hands and causes excruciating pain because the sheathes that line your nerves are literally being destroyed by your immune system. Well, if you’re Gene Hart, now a local Gunnison Valley Legend, you adapt! Gene suffers from a rare condition known as Multi-Focal Motor Neuropathy but that hasn’t prevented him, one midge, from pursuing the passion he has had since he was a little boy growing up in Wyoming. In fact, it’s made him better and even more determined. Gene has created his own handmade adaptive tools for hauling in the big monsters he routinely still catches but it is Fly Tying skills that have made him a legend. In fact, Gene has several patterns of his own design patented and sold by Umpqua, one of the oldest and most respected feather merchants in the world.
But Gene’s other love is philanthropy! I think his name got misspelled, it should have been spelled “Gene Heart” His capacity for compassion and caring is truly legendary! Gene has been involved with and helped many non-profits throughout his life, but Risers 4 Rett is truly blessed to have him as a partner and advocate. For the past 6 years, Gene has custom built beautiful, one of a kind Fly Rods with immaculate attention to detail. And hand tied close to a thousand flies, in beautiful hand carved wooden boxes, that we are able to Auction off for thousands of dollars. At our last Spring Fishing tournament, two participants got in a bidding war and as the price climbed above $2,000 for this one-of-a-kind special heirloom. One of the bidders finally dropped out, but what an exciting battle it was! And all of a sudden…Gene jumps up and asks the loosing bidder (only by $100) if he would match the winning bid, he would tie a Second box! The participant was ecstatic and eagerly agreed Boom Double the donation! But wait, that’s not all! A third participant who had quietly observing the battle, raises his paddle and said, “Know what…I’m an Idiot” I should have gotten in on that”. “Gene if I double the winning bid, will you tie a box for me?”
Gene with zero hesitation (even those these boxes take countless hour to fill) said “Of Course!” Boom, Boom! $11,800 for the Risers 4 Rett Clinic at Children’s Hospital CO. The room Erupted! And Gene was literally jumping up and down, just like that little boy in Wyoming after catching his first fish. When asked later, what were you feeling at that moment? It warmed my Hart, sorry Heart so much. I just love feeling like I’m actually doing something to make a difference. That’s Gene Heart..sorry Hart! And we are so fortunate to have him on our Team.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Written by Scott Henley
RMRA’s Executive Director
