I began writing for the Tahoe World back in 1987 upon the request of then publisher Bill Kunerth. It seems that a readership survey was an eye opener. The surveyand#8217;s largest response was for a piece that dealt with fishing.

Bill and I were members in the North Lake Tahoe Kiwanis Club and he knew that I was an avid fisherman. He also knew that one of my many degree paths had taken me down through a possible English major. As it turned out, I got my degree in business administration after several other major changes.

When I began writing I used to submit my columns on typewritten hardcopy. Yes, it was before using the computer in those days. I have to say using a computer has made it much easier than in the beginning. Typing and corrections are much easier and you can submit electronically.

When the paper began publishing my photo, which is quite dated, I began to gain some notoriety. I began getting recognized around town as the and#8220;fishing guy.and#8221;

In 1992 when I was on a vacation in Wyoming, a fellow even recognized me coming off the upper Snake River near Flag Ranch. My friend and I were shocked. It seems he was from Walnut Creek and subscribed to the paper and was just getting into fly-fishing.

Recently, I received a call from the publisher that my column was being pulled and#8212; apparently a result of budget cuts. The printed medium is suffering these days all over the nation. It seemed that we were somewhat insulated as a small community for some time, but these woes have caught up with us.

I have met many of you readers through the years and have appreciated all of the feedback and support. It has certainly been my good fortune to have such a solid foundation of readers.

So, I will continue to fish and enjoy the break from the weekly deadlines. I bid you all the best and thanks again for the support throughout the years. The North Lake Tahoe/Truckee area is a great community. Tight lines everyone.

and#8212; Bruce Ajari is a Truckee resident and longtime fishing columnist for the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza and other area newspapers.