I hope this is appropriate, but Dirk Jellito, was a member of this post. Mostly known for Uintas, Windrivers, and Wasatch alpine lake exploits, passed Wednesday from a battle with cancer.
I met Dirk through this message board, when I challenged posters to give me their most remote lakes they had been to in the Uintas, then I gave 4 examples of some of my remote lakes. He not only matched me, lake for lake, but top it.
Great backpacker, fisherman, and mostly a outstanding family man.
His obituary was in the paper today. I hope some of you got to know him. He will be missed.
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I am really sorry to hear that. Dirk was going to go sturgeon fishing with me last fall. About five weeks before the scheduled date he sent me a PM when I posted an open invite. He was really excited to go and said that he hated to have to wait the five weeks or so before the trip. A couple weeks before the scheduled date he contacted me and said that he probably wouldn't be able to go because he had been diagnosed with a serious cancer condition. He was still going to see if he could go but the first cancer treatment got scheduled during the time that we would have been gone. He showed up at my house, with money in hand, to pay for his part of the trip (realizing I wouldn't have time to find a replacement). I refused the money but I could tell that he was a class act for offering the money. I have kept in touch with him, from time to time, since then and was hoping to be able to take him fishing for sturgeon this spring.
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Damn. We've fished together a few times, and were scheduled again next month. Here he is with a 40# from last April. Great guy, will be missed by many. Condolences to Ally and DJ.
And yet again, another reminder. Live life every day to the fullest folks. You just never know.
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His name on here was troutcreek.
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I am sorry to hear of passing. Life is short, but it sounds as though what time he had here was filled with joy doing what made him happy and sharing his love with the outdoors with others. My condolences to his family.
Looks like he way a great guy. Hope he catches some big ones up high
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Terrible tragedy. I hope the best for his family. When I was one, my dad had cancer. He was literally 6-8 hours away from meeting the maker. We cherish every day we have with him now. I am now 32 and I try to live every day I can to the fullest. Never know when it can happen, and given the cancer history in my family, it's any time.
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Ah that sucks!!![frown]
I had the opportunity of talking to him many, many, many times on the phone, but we never did get to hook up out on the water. We always shared reports with each other if we hit the local wasatch lakes and didn't post them up here on BFT.
He will be missed. Condolences to his family.
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Jim,
Dirk was my long time fishing buddy and a great friend. He was without a doubt one of the all-around best fisherman / outdoorsmen in this State and an even better father and husband to his family. That man could literally pull fish out of a pot-hole - I'm sure you noticed his fishing skills and how those skills also passed on to his children. He knew how to fish and had the patience and skills to hook just about anything.
Sadly, his cancer (started as skin cancer) was very aggressive; he fought it all the way to the end in a very courageous battle.
During our many fishing trips, we tried to hit the gorge a few times a year (usually on labor day holiday weekends due to our work constraints) jigging for the big lakers. As you know, a lot of boat traffic and noise is just not ideal for catching for the big ones - we struggled landing the really big ones. Three years ago we finally landed a couple of large lakers and from that day on Dirk got the Big Mac Fever Bug! Sadly, I was never able to get back up there again with him to fish for the big ones.
I can't even begin to express how much appreciation I have for you. Dirk was so happy to not only catch a big 40 LB'er, but the many others large lakers he, his son and daughter were also able to catch under you guidance. You helped my friend complete one of his big wishes and gave him one the most memorable and enjoyable (bucket list) fishing experiences of his life. Who knew then it would be his last fishing trip to the Gorge. I've attached a Photo of the first big Laker we caught (jigging in antelope) that initially gave him Mac fever - a bug that never goes away[
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Thank You !!!
The Lord landed a really good one in Dirk. Our fishing and outdoorsmen community lost one of the great ones. RIP my friend. Till we fish again.
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Dirk was a great man. I was fortunate enough to marry his niece. Family parties were spent talking about our latest fishing outings, as well as our upcoming outings. Unfortunately I never got to go fishing with uncle Dirk, but I plan on doing that in the next life. I know he is hiking around heaven getting the report on what they are biting on for when all of his friends and family join him.
At the celebration in his honor his wife asked me to continue to promote fishing, and teach our youth to fish. She said that what Dirk would want. I intend to do just that!
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RIP and tight lines in heaven. I'm in for $20.00's towards the trip he had scheduled with Jim if his kids want to take his place. I don't know him and don't want to be too forward, but if we all throw in a few bucks it may be a nice annual trip for his family.
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Cancer is a bad job. My condolences to his friends and family.
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