Fishing on the river

By Richard Simms

WABC 9

LEWISTON, New York — My rod bent and I first feared it was another snag on a Niagara River rock - until the rock moved and I found myself firmly attached to my first ever king salmon.

King salmon truly are the kings of all the trout and salmon species. Their sheer size, explosive power and blistering runs test even the most experienced angler and tackle, making every successful catch a memorable accomplishment.

But I was still far from the actual "catching" part. And little did this salmon know, or care, it was my very first time doing battle with a "king."

The seconds and minutes ticked by. Every time the reel's drag sang, my heart pounded that much harder until finally, Capt. Jim Rores slid the net beneath the beast.

Capt. Rores was beside himself with excitement, I think even moreso than me. Time after time he reached out from beneath a huge smile for another congratulatory fist bump. It was hard for me to believe he has been a guide for 26 years. I knew this same scene had played out for him thousands and thousands of times, yet his level of excitement seemed as if it might have been a first for him as well.

"That's my juice," he told me later. "My customers are my juice. I've caught millions of kings, but it's not about me. It's about guys like you. I knew it was your first king and I knew you were going to work hard to do it. I just wanted you to be rewarded. That's just the way I am."

With a big grin, he added, "I hope I didn't slap you around too much."

#WheresRichard

If you follow me on social media, you know my regular hashtag of #WheresRichard, used whenever I hit the road.

The morning out with Capt. Rores - also known as "Jimmy the Greek," thanks to his Greek heritage - came about due to the 2026 AGLOW Conference. That's the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers, which includes outdoor journalists from all over the country

Of course, such conferences are required to include a few outdoor adventures. Lewiston tourism folks had organized more than 20 fishing guides to escort writers to go fishing on the Niagara River. We simply walked out of the Niagara Crossing Hotel to the water's edge to meet our guides just a few miles downstream from the famous waterfalls.

I was lucky enough to draw Capt. Rores.

The Rest of the Story

With a nod to Paul Harvey, here is "The rest of the story."

Besides a bucket list catch, the day gave me something else worth remembering: the story of a man who spent much of his working life doing what was expected of him, before finally pursuing what he loved most. It's also the story of a father whose advice came years before his son was ready to follow it.

Capt. Rores, now 61, grew up fishing. His first boat came when he was just 13 years old, and fishing was woven into the fabric of his family's life.

"I've never been to Disney World," he said. "On all of our family vacations all we did was fish."

His father recognized his son's talent early on. It was reinforced by a friend and outfitter who, after taking young Jimmy fishing, said, "Jimmy's a natural. He needs to do this. He just really needs to do this."

But Capt. Rores took what he felt was a more responsible path. He dedicated himself to the auto body business as well as helping with the family restaurant and tavern.

When his father became ill he continued adamantly suggesting that Jimmy should fish for a living. His father died of colon cancer in his mid-50's, never seeing his son realize his father's wish that he become a fishing guide.

Looking back, Capt. Rores knows he could have made different choices. But at the time, he was trying to do what he believed a son and husband should do and continue working "a real job."

And then one night, he was working late at his Buffalo body shop,

"I remember it was March and my wife called me. I had to tell her, 'I'm gonna be home late again tonight," said Capt. Rores.

Capt. Rores remembered vividly his wife sharing about one of her girlfriends going on a vacation in Mexico. On the phone his wife, no doubt sounding somewhat forlorn, said, "We gotta go do something."

The words hit him hard. He told me, "I had never taken her on a vacation. So I called my buddy who knows a travel agent and I took my wife on our honeymoon seven years after we were married."

Not long afterwards he was at work, once again late night.

"My collision shop was in a sketchy area in the city of Buffalo, and it was getting to the point where the risk wasn't worth what I was doing every day. I'd be in my paint booth till 10 o'clock at night, sometimes alone, finishing the cars. And then I'd walk out into a bad neighborhood at 10 or 10:30. My wife stayed up, waiting by the window for me when I got home.

"I'm just like, 'You know, there's got to be a better way," he continued. "There's just got to be a better way."

Baby Steps

A friend and guide helped him see a path forward - taking baby steps at first, that path led Capt. Rores back to the Niagara River. He began with just a few guide trips during the salmon run. But he said in the coming months, the phone calls to take people fishing just kept coming in until finally, he decided he really could make a living doing something he loved while also providing for his family.

Now, after 26 years and still going strong, he knows it was the right, albeit belated, decision.

His only regret is that his father didn't get to see him fulfill the dream.

I asked Capt. Rores, "When you're on the river, I bet not many days go by when you don't think about your dad.”.

In a voice filled with emotion, Capt. Rores said, “I think about my dad every morning. I say a prayer at the back of my boat and I thank God for everything I have, I ask him to bless me and my customers, and take care of my wife and my house while I'm away. And I thank my dad and talk to him all the way to whatever boat launch I'm going to. Every day.”

Never Too Late to Pursue a Dream

Capt. Rores, or Jimmy the Greek, reminded me that sometimes, life's most meaningful rewards have little to do with a fish at the end of the line. Sometimes, they're about the people who first taught us to love the water, the dreams they encouraged us to pursue and the love that stays with us long after they're gone.

That first king salmon will always be a special memory for me. And it may have been Jimmy the Greek who led me to it, but I can't help but believe that his dad was also along for the ride.