Idaho Fish and Game staff was saddened to hear of the tragic loss of Larry Sawyer of Emmett, whose impact on southwest Idaho anglers is noteworthy and will long be remembered. It’s fair to say Larry affected, and will continue to affect, thousands of anglers through his lifetime of generosity, which is no small feat.
In the 1980s, Larry worked with Fish and Game staff on our first cooperative project in the Emmett area to provide and enhance fishing opportunities, which resulted in Larry’s partial donation of Sawyers Pond. This pond complex was developed into an IDFG fishing and boating access site with docks, ramps, restrooms, and remains open to the public in perpetuity.
Sawyers Pond gained quite a reputation as a good local fishing spot with anglers saying it was one of the most popular waters in Gem County. Many young anglers caught their first fish there, and Larry took great pride in Sawyers Pond and enjoyed seeing people fish there. The pond allowed people a place for relaxation and a break from everyday concerns, whether fishing or just enjoying nature.
Community service remained important to Larry throughout his life, and through further conversations with Fish and Game staff, it became apparent he had an even bigger idea and wanted to serve his community more. Larry owned a similar property across the street from Sawyers Pond, which was a defunct gravel pit that was bigger and deeper. He simply asked, “Would IDFG be interested in the property?”
The Department’s initial concern was that its potential value would be too expensive to purchase, but Larry wasn’t seeking compensation. He wanted to make a full donation, “as long as we could turn it into something like Sawyers and keep it open to the public.”
Staff hoped to make that happen and agreed to work on it. During the next several months, they worked closely with Larry and came to know him as an extremely kind, patient, generous and humble person. He was so generous that he wouldn’t accept a dime, and so humble that he wouldn’t attend a commission meeting to accept an award and recognition for the work he had done, and the valuable contributions he had made.
By the fall of 2021, Larry’s vision came to fruition, and IDFG was able to open Dick Knox Pond to the public. The new pond was named in honor of one of Larry’s mentors.
We can only hope that Larry’s spirit will forgive this incomplete attempt to shine the spotlight on all his actions, and we want to thank him, on behalf of Fish and Game and all anglers, for exemplifying a fine human being who’s generosity cannot be measured, and also cannot be underestimated.
Larry, you will be missed, but certainly not forgotten.