Immediately recognized as the inventor of the one of the most unique, innovative, and productive fly pattern styles of all times, The Clouser Minnow. Originally designed for fly fishing for the smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River, it has become one of the most productive fresh and salt western fly patterns ever. Through Bob’s keen interest and education in pursuing smallmouth with a fly, his energy has brought attention to this species and elevated it to a game fish status for the fly rodder world wide. Warm water fisheries are very similar to cold water fisheries and require maintenance to keep fish healthy and alive. Bob has been a champion in educating a new generation of fly fishers. Like Henshall’s early works on Black Bass, Bob brings forth a new respect for fly fishing to all warmwater species.
His unending protection of fishing waters for fly fishermen in New York State. Ed, has secured more public access and special regulation water for fly fishers than any other individual. Over 70 years old and still working for the NYSDEC, Ed remains a champion for fishermen not only in the Catskills but in the entire state. Ed is an authority on Catskill rivers, a historian and author.
His first book, "The Beaverkill," first released in 1996 and later expanded & revised in 2016, is the definitive book on the famous trout stream. The follow-up "Trout Fishing in the Catskills" received similar acclaim as a must-read expansive exploration of the development of the Catskills as America's premiere fishing destination. He was a founding member of the Beamoc Chapter of Trout Unlimited, as well as a founding member of the Catskill Fly Tiers Guild. He learned to tie flies from Harry and Elsie Darbee, the noted Catskill tiers, and lives in the Catskills with his wife Judy.
He spent many years as an Adirondacks fly fishing advocate, conservationist, instructor, innovative and infamous fly tyer. Since the 1940’s Fran has been, and continues to be, the ambassador for the Adirondack waters through his many books and personal articles. He has kept the Adirondack waters very much alive. Working with Bill Phillips, he developed maps and information almost 40 years ago that still remain in active use in the Adirondacks.
Is probably best remembered for his “Exit Laughing” column in Field & Stream and his most humorous hunting and fishing books. However, Ed was a respected major contributor to the Outdoors Writer Association of America. Ed was a founder and first president of Theodore Gordon Flyfishers. He was a major supporter for hunting and fishing through his many conservation writings.
Is an artist, author, conservationist, fly tyer, photographer, cold and warm water fly fisherman and professional lecturer. There are many more descriptions and you can fill in your own blanks. Most importantly, Dave was responsible for the success of instream nurseries with his Whitlock-Vibert Box System. Dave is an award winner from many national fly fishing organization.
Organized the first Trout Unlimited on his property in 1959. A small group of dedicated Michigan trout anglers with strong concerns relating to our fisheries and fish joined together to form TU . George and Art Neuman expanded this group to a national level, encouraging other similar groups concerned about the future of good fishing and protecting our cold waters. With this momentum gained, Trout Unlimited became a national organization and ultimately, a household word in the fishing community.
A shop owner, rod maker and conservationist in Michigan. He was a co founder, with George Griffith, of Trout Unlimited and the first TU vice president. Art continues to support conservation efforts and has become a resource for fly fishers all over the world.
Author of the wonderful novella, A River Runs Through It in 1976. It is through this book that we discover a magnificent family story surrounded in the beauty and appreciation of nature and life through fly fishing. “In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing. . . .” His narrative, on it’s surface is about fly fishing, just like fly fishing itself. However, surface insect activity is only 5% of the story; to understand the other 95%, you have to know what goes on under the surface. Maclean’s work formed the basis of the movie directed by Robert Redford.
In his book entitled, A Book of Trout Flies, published in 1935 Preston Jennings set the standard of excellence that has measured all subsequent work on fly-fishing entomology. This book would go on to become one of the most cherished and highly regarded books in angling history.
His experiments on how light refracts off of an insect’s wings and how the trout perceives such light on the water resulted in fly patterns surface resulted in fly patterns which are still popular with trout and the fly fishers. Two of these historic c fly imitations are the American March Brown and the Grey Fox.
Jennings was equally at home on the trout stream as he was in the lab. A highly regarded angler and fly tier, his work and contributions are legendary as a key building block in American fly fishing history.
Recognized as the nation’s leading rod authority. His book, Classic Rods and Rodmakers, first published in 1976, provided the fly fishing community with the first historical compilation of the rodmakers, their rods, and how to recognize them. This book initiated a new appreciation for the craft of rod making, a starting point for further investigation and discovery, and is an indispensable tool for every collector. With this new understanding of the craft, a higher level of rod collecting and collecting of angling paraphernalia was founded. Collecting has become a most important part of the fly fishing community and spurred a keen interest in the preservation of fly fishing history. ‘Marty’ remains as one of the most respected collectors and authorities on fly fishing equipment.
In 1992 Robert Redford brought Norman Maclean’s story to life via the big screen in his movie of the same name, A River Runs Through It. Although this movie’s central theme was not about fly fishing, Redford exposed the general public and informed more people on the art and beauty of fly fishing than any other single individual or event in the history of the sport. This movie encouraged people to give it a try and ultimately, birthed a new generation of fly fishers The movie with in a year brought attention to the quality of water, fish, sport, the outdoors, sound conservation measures and environmental awareness. The fly fishing industry, community and organizations received a new breath of life. Those who found enjoyment and pleasure in flyfishing continue to share in the pleasures of outdoor sport. We honor Robert Redford for his work in bringing this magnificent film to fruition.
He is considered the pioneer for northeastern Atlantic in shore fly fishing. He has been a highly regarded outdoors writer for the past forty plus years and. His book, Inshore Fly Fishing in 1992, provided the launch pad for the sky- rocketing interest in saltwater fly fishing. Lou provided the fly fishing community with the much needed information and techniques on how to succeed in catching striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and other species on flies cast from shore. . “No one I know,” says Lefty Kreh in his Foreword to this path breaking book, “understands the intricacies of successful fly fishing along the northern Atlantic coast better than Lou Tabory.” This pioneering guide will take freshwater fishermen to the sea and it will show saltwater fishermen how to fish a fly.
Lou has also written several other books including: Lou Tabory’s Guide to Saltwater Baits and Their Imitations, Stripers On The Fly , and The Orvis Pocket Guide to Fly Fishing for Striped Bass and Bluefish, developed many fly patterns for saltwater fly fishing, and is an industry consultant, and salt water fly fishing instructor. He remains active in many fly fishing organizations.
One of the greatest innovators of fly tying. In the 1960’s. Joseph Bates Jr, acknowledged that Keith’s Thunder Creek Flies “are as true to life as artificials can be.” Keith’s book, Tying and Fishing the Thunder Creek Series was first published in 1973. Thirty three years later, it has been revised and published in collaboration with David Klausmeyer. Working with another great fly tyer, Charlie Krom, Keith and Charles co-authored Hair Wing Atlantic Salmon Flies in 1981, which is considered a classic. Now at 84, Keith continues to travel, fish, and promote fly tying to the next generation.
Co-founder and first president of the Woman Flyfishers Club, the world’s first- organization of the female fly fishers, 1932. Julia Fairchild is quoted “ I think there is an equality of sexes in fishing that is entirely different from any other sport. We never had the slightest feeling with any of our fishing men that we weren’t just as good as they were. In fact, it never occurred to any of us that we were men or women: we were fishermen.” In Mac Francis’ book, Land of Little Rivers:“ Julia opened the door for women to unite and enjoy their fishing pleasures in their own environment” Julia Fairchild maintained a guiding spirit of the Woman Flyfishers Club as president for 47 years. She led the Woman Flyfishers with commitment, to a leading role in conservation, to fishing retreats which build friendships. Julia Fairchild was a trail blazer.
Recognized in tandem, together, they bestowed the fly fishing community with five major fly fishing books. Their first book Hatches, 1975 provided the fly fishers with the most detailed and complete guide to identifying and fishing the may fly hatches of North America. They are also responsible for the standardization of colors in fly tying, an easy to use Instant Mayfly Identification Guide, and the development of the Compara-fly patterns (from Al’s Comparadun creation). Bob Natasi died in 2004.
Daughter of Charles Orvis, Mary is celebrated to this day as a result of her devotion to the fly by compiling and editing Favorite Flies and Their Histories, first published in 1892. This book was the first to standardize fly patterns in America and how to fish them. Mary is also considered the woman that opened the door into fly fishing to other women.
Fly fishing advocate, innovator, and author. World traveled big game and fly fisherman who introduced generations to the sport through his written experiences of fly fishing adventures and techniques. Heralded as one of the earliest saltwater fly fishermen, his passions for stream born trout and steelheadon a fly were unequalled.
At 95 years of age, he is recognized as the ‘man behind the scenes in the construction of bamboo rods’. Without Harold, almost every rod, by almost every rod builder, would never have been. Harold’s life work has been to continually avail the finest Tonkin cane for the construction of fishing rods in America.
Pioneer in American Fly Fishing. To satisfy the demands of sporting gentlemen in 1856, Charles opened C.F. Orvis Company in Manchester, Vermont turning his hobby of rod building and fly making into a business and America’s first mail order catalog. Patenting the first vertical mounted and ventilated fly reel in 1874, Orvis continued to provide unique and technical advancements in the fly fishing market through out his life. His legacy lives on now, bearing his name, as the most recognized fly tackle dealer in the world.
Hoagy Bix Carmichael—producer and director of film, television and theater, sometime tap dancer and eldest son of America’s favorite songwriter—is also the author of “A Master’s Guide to Building A Bamboo Fly Rod.” This extraordinary work exists today because, in 1968, Hoagy met Edmund Everett Garrison, was astonished by his fly rods, and wished to pay homage to everything that his friend “Garry,” knew about the craft of rodmaking. This meant photographing, documenting and explaining every step that Garry took—as well as accounting for all of Garry’s complicated mathematical formulae. The project was undertaken during the 1970’s when bamboo rods had fallen almost completely out of favor with the fly-fishingpublic, and the were almost no known amateur builders. Hoagy chronicled the work of perhaps America’s greatest living expert and surely the only man willing to share his craft and his knowledge. It is largely because of this book that Garrison will live in posterity as “The Master,” while Hoagy himself has won widely-deserved notoriety and respect for his part in rejuvenating the craft of bamboo rodmaking.