The Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum 2024 Annual Dinner
Saturday, May 11th, 2024
Rockland House - Roscoe, New York
Honoring the 2024 Catskill Legends
John Bonasera
“Catskill John”
John Bonasera embodies a particularly Catskillian archetype of the angler. Which, in the case of Bonasera, is in no way intended to convey a sense of “common,” beyond what many would collectively describe as a deep love of the sport. He began fly fishing Callicoon Creek as a child in the 1970s with his own hand-tied flies, while visiting his family’s summer home in Jeffersonville. Twenty years ago, he returned. His early fascination with the art of fly tying has led him to a level of expert skill and deep knowledge matched by very few people over the many years of fly tying in the United States. He is as much a master of the Traditional Catskill Style as he is a historian and collector of its wares. John ties flies exactly as they were tied by the people who invented the methods, on the same now antique hooks, and with the same approach to feathers and fur as the creators. John’s championing of the traditional skills of Catskills angling mirror the very pillars of CFFCM’s stated mission.
Bonasera is a senior member of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild. He writes on the history of tying, most notably for the Guild’s newsletter. His flies are on permanent display locally at both the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum and the Jerry Bartlett Angling Collection in Phoenicia. His own pattern, The Catskill Cannonball, is found in fly boxes throughout the region. Like all of our 2024 inductees, John has given an enormous amount of his time and expertise in support of CFFCM.
Per Brandin
Put simply, Per Brandin is one of the greatest bamboo rod makers of all time. Tutored by both Hoagy Carmichael and Peter Phelps, Brandin has been making rods for nearly 50 years. His innovations and skill have helped set an elevated bar for hollow built techniques emulated by builders worldwide. Anglers lucky enough to own one of his rods speak of a true mastery that comes from a marriage of technical precision and a deep understanding of angling which inform his fluid approach to the art of bamboo.
Brandin is one of the key characters in the beloved 2018 documentary, Chasing the Taper. He is the author of 'A Fly Rod with a Soul' a book celebrating the life of E.C. Powell, another legendary maker and early pioneer of hollow built rods. Per was instrumental in the development of CFFCM’s rod building workshop and has donated both time and energy to help the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum flourish and succeed.
John Shaner
John Shaner’s impacts within the world of fly fishing are truly impressive and span communities that seldom overlap. He is widely known in the retail world as a part of the Hardy team and is considered an authority on the history of their products. John helped found the Hardy Cup Bamboo Rod Casting Competition hosted annually by CFFCM at our Summerfest event, since 2011. In addition, Shaner is recognized as one of the leading collectors of historically significant antique fly fishing gear. He is considered a master of the soft hackle fly as an angler, collector, and historian.
Not to be bound by tradition, Shaner has also been on the product design teams for some of today’s leading modern fly fishing brands. His intimate knowledge of traditional bamboo rod building techniques gives him a profound understanding of rod dynamics and how to emulate classic tapers with modern materials. His storytelling is concise and devoid of pretension, making him as vital to our oral traditions as he is captivating to younger generations. John Shaner has donated countless hours in support of CFFCM and the history of fly fishing in the Catskills. He is a board trustee and sits on our Hall of Fame committee where he helps promote the history and accomplishments of the heroes of our sport.