Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Does anyone remember Jim Bashline?

While moving recently I came across an old magazine I had saved for an article called "The Spiteful Crack of the 250-3000" by Jim Bashline. It's a very well written and entertaining story and, apparently, one of his last. A sidebar to the article said that he had passed away. Bashline was an editor/columnist for Field & Stream for more than two decades, and he wrote articles for many other publications.

I did a forum search and didn't find anything. I was just wondering if anyone still remembers and appreciates his work, or if he has followed that trail to the land of oblivion blazed by so many writers before him. Growing up on Field & Stream as I did, I consider him one of my formative influences.

He was a fine writer and outdoorsman.

I knew Jim fairly well. Unfortunately he died when a little too young when 63, maybe a dozen or so years ago. The last time we saw him was when Eileen and I visited him at his home near State College, Pennsylvania during one of the regular blizzards of the century they seemed to get around there for a few years.

Back in the winter of '91 I had the great fortune to spend several weekends at fly-tying seminars with Jim. He was a dab hand at tying classic Atlantic Salmon patterns.

One night, in the bar of the hotel we were staying in, we put a serious dent in their supply of Scots whisky. Along toward midnight, we were calling it a day when in walked Ernie Schwiebert. We had given up hope of seeing him that night as his transportation was delayed by the snow storm raging outside. (Yes, this was in Pennsylvania.) Well, the stocks of whisky got drained even further and at some point (along about 3:00am) we were told rather firmly to please leave. We all needed help finding our rooms! Imagine spending hours with two of the best outdoor story tellers of our time, and them being gracious enough to laugh at some of my stories.

The next day Jim gave me a couple of his Salmon flies, which now reside under a glass dome on my desk- a rememberance of a fine gentleman. The 1st editions of Ernie's that he inscribed to me will always be here, too, to remind me how blessed I was to have known some pretty cool guys.

Mr. Cypress;
Somewhere in my collection of reading material I have that same story by Mr. Bashline. For several reasons the .250 has been a sentimental favorite of mine so I was drawn to the story then and remember it well today.

Along the same line on the shelves I found a book called �The Eastern Trail� which was printed in 1972 and was edited by Mr. Bashline. While it doesn�t have any stories by the editor, it has several of the same type of flavor and I enjoyed many of them. It is worth picking up should you locate a copy.

Thanks for the reminder of a great story teller.

Regards,
Dwayne

I remember I liked his work, but that's about all. If he liked the.250 Sav. he had to be okay.

That explains it.

Cypress, I kept that magazine just for that very artical as I thought it was a wonderful story.

Can anybody with a copy of that article scan it and email (or snail mail) it to me? I'd be very appreciative.

As an aside, his book "The Eastern Trail" was illustrated by Ned Smith and contained articles by such Pennsylvania luminaries as Bob Bell, Don Lewis, Charlie Fox and Ned himself. Well worth the effort to locate a copy.

I'd appreciate that, too. I'll gladly reimburse the cost of copying and postage.

Me too, the .250 is a favorite calibre and I have several Savage 99s for it.

I'm very glad to see that Bashline is remembered and appreciated and not only here at the Campfire. I found a website for the Jim Bashline Project, a Wildlife Habitat Management Area.

http://raystown.nab.usace.army.mil/LandManagement/jim_bashline_project.htm

I found the article again. I don't have a scanner so PM me with your address and I'll send a copy out to you.

Cypress

Jim Bashline was one of those writers, who if they wrote it, I bought it. He wrote clearly,well, and without pretension, and he inspired me to get a 250. Love the rifle and the cartridge, and miss him.

Steve

Jim Bashline is fondly remembered here in PA. While I only met him once, have several outdoor writer friends here that knew him well and respected him.

Don Lewis passed away a month or so back, but I believe former PA Game News editor Bob Bell is still kickin' and I saw Charlie Fox on Sunday, at an FNRA volunteer appreciation banquet.

Sorry to here Don Lewis passed away. His column was always the first thing I turned to in the "Pennsylvania Game News." Charlie must be very, very old now. Are we talking about the same guy? Wrote "The Wonderful World of Trout" a generation ago which included the story about how he caught the state record Brown in the old Blue Hole on Big Spring Creek in 1946? He was one guy I always wanted to meet, way back when, as I haunted the banks of the Letort hoping to bump into him and Marinaro as much as I hoped to tie into a big Brownie!

Ned Smith and my uncle Grant Billow were pals for many years, in and around the town of Millersburg.

Can you tell I'm an old Penna. boy?!

Gary

Yep, I can tell. The Charlie Fox I mentioned, is probably in his mid-70s, still active in PA hunting/fishing affairs and fairly well-known in these parts. May well be two of them?

I believe Don Lewis was in his late 80s when he passed away last summer. He had given up the Shooter's Corner column in the PA Game News a few years ago, but still did occasional shooting/hunting articles for one of the Pittsburgh-area papers.

I did a quick google search and found that Charlie was born in 1908 and died 1997. Must be two of them.

Another PA boy here, who grew up reading all those mentioned. Sad to hear of Don Lewis' passing. Had a pleasant phone conversation with him, last time I was back in PA, and researching an old varmint rifle. Very nice man to talk to.

Jeff

I hadn't heard of Don's death. I enjoyed every article I could find of his. A lifetime of solid experience that he freely shared, even through failing health and vision.