FLY FISHING HALL OF FAME

Class of 2017 to be Inducted on October 7 at CFFCM

LIVINGSTON MANOR – Four remarkable individuals will be inducted into the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum on Saturday afternoon, October 7. The new Hall of Fame members are: Vernon S. "Pete" Hidy, Theodore “Ted” Niemeyer, Steve Rajeff and Theodore “Ted” Rogowski.

The induction ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. It will be followed with a casting demonstration by Steve Rajeff. The dinner and auction will be held at the Villa Roma Resort in Callicoon beginning with horsd’oeuvres at 5:00 p.m. Cost is $75 per person. Transportation will be available from the center for $15.00 per person.

The following individuals were nominated by members of the fly fishing community and selected by the Hall of Fame Committee. They are being recognized for their significant contributions to the world of fly fishing.

Vernon S. "Pete" Hidy – produced “The Art of Tying the Wet Fly” with James E. Leisenring in 1941, and coined the word "flymph" in 1963. He wrote articles for “Sports Illustrated,” edited “The Creel” between 1961 and 1982, and founded The Flyfisher's Club of Oregon in 1960. He was a founding member of the Federation of Flyfishers. He influenced the creation of the Silver Creek Preserve in Idaho in 1976. He died January 24, 1983 in Boise, Idaho.

Theodore “Ted” Niemeyer — was a renowned fly tyer, fly fisherman and historian. He had a true love of the sport, was passionate and generous with his knowledge of fly tying, wrote for “Fly Fisherman Magazine” and "Art Flick's Master Fly-Tying Guide." Many of his flies have been distributed to collectors and museums. The “New York Times” called him a notable collector of prize fishing flies. He died on September 24, 2016 in Seattle, WA, at the age of 87.

Steve Rajeff — born and raised in San Francisco, he has been involved with numerous fly casting schools since the 1970’s and has conducted fly casting demonstrations around the world. He is a life member of the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club, and a Hall of Fame member of the American Casting Association (ACA). He has been a dominate presence in competitive casting for over four decades, winning the ACA All Round Championship 42 times and 14 World All-Around Championships. He lives in Washington State.

Theodore “Ted” Rogowski — has a noted career as an environmental attorney, cinematographer, fly tyer and fly fisherman. A long-time advocate for clean water, he helped draft the Clean Water Act while at the EPA. He was a was a co founder of the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, and is a member of many fishing organizations. He was behind the camera for classic footage for “The American Sportsman” that popularized the sport. He is married to Joan Wulff and lives in Lew Beach.