Thread: Craig Simpson and Egon Graff

I heard that Craig Simpson, well known professional hunter and fishing guide / water taxi operator from Murchison - Rotoiti died suddenly aged 67 and Egon Graff has just died, at 91 I think.
Egon has had a good run, but very sad that Craig has passed young with a very active life cut short

Egon.....loved watching him learning stick n string in the boys videos...... sleep well you two old rascals

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I heard that Craig Simpson, well known professional hunter and fishing guide / water taxi operator from Murchison - Rotoiti died suddenly aged 67 and Egon Graff has just died, at 91 I think.
Egon has had a good run, but very sad that Craig has passed young with a very active life cut short

Sad to hear Egon has passed on - when I was a ranger at Lake Waikaremoana many times he was in my home for a cuppa and a chat -one of life's true gentleman - a totally true hunter

No disrespect to Craig, Moa Hunter, but I struggle with that common description of people, as "well known". Usually I've never heard of the person, so what does "well known" mean? Well known in their local district..? And if they are well known, why do we have to call them that?

Egon is my wife's uncle. Never had a huge amount to do with him but caught up at family events etc. Had a shit load of very good life stories. Rip in peace old feller. I understand the funeral is in Aus.

Originally Posted by Ranger 888

No disrespect to Craig, Moa Hunter, but I struggle with that common description of people, as "well known". Usually I've never heard of the person, so what does "well known" mean? Well known in their local district..? And if they are well known, why do we have to call them that?

Fair enough comment, 'Well known identity in the Murchison area' he transported a lot of hunters and fishers when he had the water taxi and could help with very good advice on where and how to hunt an area.

Sad to hear of craigs passing, He was always good for a yarn and some pointers on where the deer were hanging out when we would run into him on the lake. Rest in peace mate.

In a Graf video you have Egon pausing with a big Waikaremoana stag he is carrying out on the pack frame and he says..."another 10 years of this and it will be my lot." Bugger me he was 68 at the time. So when you complain about the hills just think of that.

Dad told me this the other day.
Sad to hear that Craig had passed.

Just had a mate ring me and inform me of Craig passing while I was looking at a couple of stags having a standoff. Being in the same profession as Craig I ran into him occasionally on the river. You'd think the conversation would be fishing but it never was, it was always hunting as we shared a passion for wild remote places and it's the deer that lived there.
That man had a vast knowledge of the South Islands backcountry, more than any of us realise, RIP