By Bill Hartnett | July 2011

This short tale relates well to friends and others that know Jim, an RRL repeat guest from the Toronto, Canada area. You still might enjoy reading about what happened one night.

Big Jim Elie gearing up to fish

Big Jim Elie gearing up to fish

The other night I was having my weekly phone conversation, rather phone listening with River Vigilante Big Jim Elie. Officer Jim keeps a close watch on all the poachers and non-licensed bums on the tributary streams and rivers in his neck of the woods. Jim is also an avid collector of vintage fly gear; modern equipment and a fly fishing know it all. (He sure does) I was well into receiving his evening lecture on everything and anything involving the sport of fly fishing. After about an hour of sermon I had finial managed to get in a question. With the anticipation of hearing the long answer to my question I laid back relaxing on the sofa with my cell phone resting on my chest ready for my fly fishing serenade. As I listen to the deep sounds resonating from the phone it wasn’t minutes before I fell into a deep sleep. I woke! Startled to find a silent phone, Jim, Jim are you there. No Big Jim the sand man was gone, he had done his job and with no one there to listen to him his night was over. So if you ever have the need to get to sleep on a tough night don’t reach for those pills, don’t bother to warm milk or make a soothing cup of tea, just ring Big Jim the Sand Man and he will have you in fly fishing dreamland in the wink of an eye.