Hiding Robert Pierpoint

Believe it was last year, Time Magazine reported famed CBS White House reporter Bob Pierpoint had passed away at his home near Washington, D.C. Can’t help pondering adventures I was privileged to share with him. Don’t remember exactly how we met, but it was during his trip to the Flathead with President Richard Nixon and involved fly fishing.

Next time we crossed paths was August 1975 after dedication of Libby Dam by President Gerald Ford. Got a frantic call from Pierpoint in his motel at Bigfork saying, “George, I don’t think we’re going to be able to go fishing together because somebody in New York is trying to call me, and they probably want me to go someplace right now. My contract says I have to leave the nearest phone number with CBS at all times, and this looks bad. Haven’t had vacations for so long I can’t even remember.”

“Well,” I replied. “What if I took you where the nearest phone is 30 miles away?”

“You’re not kiddin’. Could we go right away? I’ve got my wife and daughter with me.”

It was a chancy plan but I told him, “Come to Kalispell now and we’ll give it a shot.”

I immediately lucked out by verifying Russ Deist’s outfitter camp at Schafer Meadows had an empty tent, got Mike Strand to ready a plane, and Mel James sold me three sleeping bags at cost. Within two hours of Bob’s call, we were winging our way to the wilderness. Two days later, my boys and I flew back to Schafer and fished with Bob. The catching wasn’t that great, but the Pierpoint and Ostrom families had an unforgettable adventure.

In early 1980s, I helped plan the Kalispell Chamber’s Banquet and gave Pierpoint a call. Explained I didn’t have a big budget for a speaker but did have good fishing spots. Bob took the bait and was the honored guest, telling inside stories about the six U.S. presidents he had covered.

Morning after the banquet, son Shannon and I loaded Bob and his friend Dennis Trout (ABC anchor) into our pickup and headed for Two Medicine, planning a hike to the upper lake for fabled brook trout fishing. Alas, the weather was lousy, rain and cold wind. When it hadn’t abated by late afternoon, we drove back to the big Glacier Park Hotel for a consoling ration of fine spirits, steak dinner, then to rooms early.

As backup, I’d arranged to try a private “No Fishing” side stream of Two Medicine River on Billy Big Spring’s ranch. After breakfast, Billy’s son came to guide us down a narrow road to virgin waters.

Will never forget that day. Pierpoint caught an 18-inch rainbow on first casts where stream met river. The beautiful side canyon was one deep pool after another containing both rainbows and cutthroats, with few under 14 inches. Both guests said it was the best day of fly-fishing they’d ever known. Each kept one nice trout for grilling by the chef at the Outlaw Inn that night.

Was a long time before Bob and I again made contact, but maybe six years ago he called to say he was enjoying Shannon’s and my book “Wondrous Wildlife.” He had a summer cabin in the mountains south of West Yellowstone, and for subscribing to Montana magazine received a gift copy of the book.

We visited most of an hour, re-catching big trout, circumventing CBS red tape, and Bob retold about the day he was riding in the Dallas parade when President Kennedy was assassinated.

In spite of his well-earned fame as an internationally honored newsman, Bob Pierpoint was one of the most down-to-earth good guys I’ve ever known; nevertheless, I’m not ashamed of that sneaky scheme for getting him to speak in Kalispell ... for free.

G. George Ostrom is a national award-winning Hungry Horse News columnist. He lives in Kalispell.