Retirement notice

[Don Pemble]

To all my friends, clients and fisherpeople out there, as of today, July 29th/10, I will be retiring due to emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery within the next week. It has been my pleasure posting daily fishing reports to you wonderful people and I want to thank you for the great response that I have received. It's been a real trip meeting and fishing with some of the worlds finest people, I have done my best to help teach and show many of you my methods and hot spots on the flowage for many years, and God knows they have been very special years to me. I will miss all of you and will think of you often. Please contact me if you are entitled to a deposit refund or need help looking for another guide.

May God bless all of you, and if you can spare a moment, say a little prayer for this old boy's recovery.

Thank you all so much,

Don Pemble

[St Croix Kid]

quick recovery old friend. the openers and other trips with you have been priceless. you helped me solidify my love for the flowage and helped me unlock a few of it's secrets. i'm speechless. good luck in the recovery and I'll give you a call on my next visit to the area. might be the beginning of October.
take good care my friend
Steve

[Zeke]

Don, My father had this same operation about ten years ago, went off without a hitch. A little dust tape and some gor tex and he's as good as new. In your case, I'm glad they found it when they did the alternative is not pretty. Thanks for all the lessons fishing with you and the priceless daily updates. Most people get the news in the a.m., my kind of news comes from Don Pemble. I hope that after the operation you will reconsider, you mean a lot to so many people on the flowage, it wouldn't be the same without you. God Speed

[John Carlson]

Good Luck Don, I don't post on this page more on the Phillips one but I do enjoy reading your posts. Please keep us posted on your recovery and get back on the water to do some recreational fishing for yourself soon.

[KAT]

Didn't you say this last year with your heart problems?
Remember only the good die young.
You honey, will be here for a long time!

[Flambeau dreamer]

Don....
Best of luck with all that you are going to face. I know God will look out for you....his son was a fisherman too.
Thanks for all the great updates, and all the conversations we had throughout the years. I'll miss fishing for muskies in the spots you recently vacated.
I hope to see your boat out on the water soon.
Best of luck, and my prayers are with you
Chris

[DonH]

Every once in a while, the "Golden Years" really suck!

I start most mornings off looking to this site to read your fishing report. I'll really miss that, but I'm already praying for you and I'd love to see you on the water during our next trip the last week of September.

Thank God they found this when they did. Medical science is doing wonders today and I'm sure you'll be around for years to come. In fact, I'd bet money you unretire before fishing season next May!

Best of luck Don.

[Nick Kanauz]

Don-Joe, Terry and I will be keeping you in our prayers. I'll be seeing you on the internet! It's been real learning the Flowage with you! Nick

[Lips]

I get to the TFF once, rarely twice a year. I have only hired you once, Don, but have come to depend on my daily/weekly fix of TFF info from you for all those times I'm not there but wish I was! I pray for a successful operation and speedy recovery. Keep us posted!
Lips

[Hot Runr Guy]

Don,
LIke Nick mentioned earlier, it has been a pleasure to spend time with you, and we appreciate all you've taught us. May God watch over you, and bring you thru the surgery safely.
Terry Hlavaty

[George]

Don,

First of all my prayers are with you and my hopes for a successful surgery. Second...thank you for all the great years of info. on this board and the tremendous amount of information and help you dispensed on a regular basis. It is a rare guide who so freely gives up his spots & techniques.

Hope we see you soon back out on the water enjoying your retirement.

[LundAngler]

Don,
It has been a pleasure fishing with you. I still remember our first trip in 2000 like it was yesterday. I just wanted to say thanks for teaching a bass and pan fish guy how to fish Walleyes. Now, I get to teach my son some of your tricks. I hope to see you back on the board in the future, and certainly out on the water. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Jeff Voigt

[Mark Benson]

Don:

God Speed on your surgery and recovery!!! As all have said your reports will be missed, always short, concise and helpful. Always hoped to get out with you, and maybe just maybe you will get the urge back next year following a healthy recovery!!!

Mark

[teenfisher]

my prayers go out to you don. it has been a real pleasure to wake up to your reports in the morning and they will be missed greatly. i wish you a safe surgery and recovery. hopefully i will have the honor to fish with you in the future on the tff to really learn this great body of water.

[Muskybill1]

Don, wishing you a speedy recovery.

With the advanced medical procedures of today, almost everyone with this procedure extends their lives.

Hope to see you on the water soon, its a scary time, but you are a tough guy, your time is not up.

MB

[beelzebob]

Thanks for accelerating the learning curve for me years ago on the TFF, and for years of good info and tips. You are a true professional and a gentleman, I wish you a speedy recovery.

[Don Pemble]

Many thanks to all of you for your kind words and especially for your prayers, I'll be meeting with my surgeon on Wednesday, August 4 to discuss my upcoming operation, will post a note to all of you as to what day it will be.

Till then, may God bless all of you, and tight lines.

Your fishing friend,
Don Pemble

[Gary Parsons]

Don, we've never got a chance to meet...my loss. I watch your fishing reports constantly and truly appreciate the time that you put into them. I'll miss them greatly. Good luck on your surgery and God speed with a fast recovery.
Gary Parsons

[Jim Kohl]

Don, You and I have never met, but we have shared an occasional nod or wave on the water. Learning of your retirement this morning, and, selfishly for me, the loss of your fishing reports, was almost as disappointing as the devastation at my cabin on Shenebeck's Point! Good Luck with your surgery!! I am jealous about the retirement thing! Thanks Again, Jim Kohl!

[Brian P]

Although I never met you I enjoy reading the posts you have made over the years. I wish you a speedy recovery. Thanks again.

[msklng10]

Don's not a quitter. With a few prayers, he'll be back soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xeXsbmK85Y

[Muskybill1]

Hey Don,

I am on the board of directors of a major hospital in Chicago. If you would like a second opinion or meet with a surgeon, I would gladly make an introduction for you.

Bill K
Muskybill1@aol.com

[The Tiny Fisherman]

Don, we'll miss you out there, who will Fluffy have to harass?

Good luck and God bless,

Tiny Fisherman and Flambeau Fluffy

[ski2313]

Don, thanks for all the reports over the years. I got a chance to meet you down at the Milwaukee sports show and still have your brochure stapled on the wall next to the TFF map... I've always wanted to book a trip but just never did for no particular reason.. sounds like I'll be waiting awhile now. You can always un-retire later.. it's alright. Us Green Bay folks are used to that kind of thing. Best of luck on your recovery, get well soon.

-Ski

(and in un-related news, sales of Reeves weedless jigs plummet 85%)

[Hot Runr Guy]

(and in un-related news, sales of Reeves weedless jigs plummet 85%)

Hahahahahahahahaha! Not at the rate I lose them, as well as the Slow-Fall jigs he used to use.
HRG

[Don Pemble]

To all those concerned about my health, I left the office of my vascular surgeon yesterday knowing that there was no need for any stents or surgery, the test results from the ultra sound on my abdominal aortic aneurysm were somehow misread and I will be fine. It's not that it isn't there, it's just not at the stage where it needs fixing. It will be checked on a 6 month basis and should not need any attention for at least 2 years.

I want to thank all my friends for your kind words and prayers, and I also want to say thank you to the friends that I have never met, such as Gary Parsons, Jim Kohl, and Brian P, and I also give thanks to God for answering all our prayers.

I will remain retired but that won't keep me off the water, I'll be out there today with a friend and I'll post a message in the morning.

Once again, thanks to all and may God bless.

Don Pemble

[daddyomolly]

Glad to hear things are looking up. Perhaps you could start a fishing consulting service to all us novices who want to fish TFF. We'll call you and you can tell us where to go(be nice).
You know this whole retirement/not retirement thing seems so familiar. I will be thinking about that 4 at least the next 4 hours. I'm sure the answer isn't very Farve away.

Take care Don.

[George]

Great news Don! Guess the Big Guy heard all those prayers!