Joe Humphreys: A “Living Legend”

April 17, 2012 By: Benjamin Clary

Joe Humphreys wrote the book on Pennsylvania fly fishing.  Literally.  Not only is he the author of On the Trout Stream and Trout Tactics, but the renowned angler holds the Pennsylvania brown trout state record thanks to a 16-pound, 34-inch behemoth he caught in 1977.  And on top of all that, he’s been teacher to some pretty famous people, including two who have darkened the White House door, not to mention his many students at Penn State.

As John Hartstock writes, “Humphreys caught his first trout at the age of 6 on Spring Creek in Centre County. It’s one of the streams that he still loves to frequent, along with other limestone favorites like Penns Creek in Centre County, the famous Spruce Creek in Huntingdon County, and the esteemed Little Juniata River that runs through parts of both Huntingdon and Blair counties.”