People

Industry Legend Jim Murphy Passes Away

Jim Murphy, a true fly-fishing Renaissance man and leader of an astonishing number of angling brands over the years, passed away on January 21 after a long illness. At the time of his death, Murphy was the Director of Fly Fishing for Pure Fishing—which owns iconic brands such as Hardy, Greys, Pfleuger, and Fenwick—but his history in the business goes...

Legendary Guide Steve Huff Receives the Izaak Walton Award

Back in 2011, writer Monte Burke declared Florida saltwater legend Steve Huff The Best Fishing Guide Alive, and the folks who gathered last week to honor Steve as the recipient of the Izaak Walton Award didn't disagree. The event, hosted by the American Museum of Fly Fishing, was held at the Key Largo Anglers’ Club, and the attendee list itself was...

Shawn Combs to Join Scott Fly Rods

Shawn Combs arrived at Orvis in 2011, a year after I did, and his influence on the quality of the company's fly rods and reels—as well as the scope of the offerings—cannot be underestimated. He burst onto the scene in 2013 as the man behind the Superfine Glass, and the hits just kept on coming, right through the launch of the Helios last year...

Longtime Editor of Fly Tyer, Dave Klausmeyer, Passes Away

I was saddened to learn of the passing of my old friend, Dave Klausmeyer, who served as the editor of Fly Tyer magazine from 1994-2023. He died on November 24, after a long battle with a rare form of lymphoma. According to a Facebook post by his wife, Diane, Dave remained positive the entire time, which makes perfect sense to those of us who knew him. I...

Remembering Legendary Angler Flip Pallot

When Flip Pallot passed away unexpectedly on August 26th, he left a legacy that will be tough to match. Writing in Garden&Gun, T. Edward Nickens expresses the feelings of many folks in the fly-fishing world as they attempt to figure out what Flip meant to them: It’s difficult to imagine anyone sucking the marrow out of life as thoroughly as did Philip...

Fly Fishing as a Recovery Tool for Teens Struggling with Addiction

The healing power of fly fishing is well documented, and the sport is used as a sort of therapy for veterans, cancer patients and survivors, and other groups in need of spiritual and physical healing. A moving story in The Nashville Banner is one of the rawest, most honest articles about teens who struggle with addiction, and the way that Arch Academy uses...

Warriors & Quiet Waters: Fly Fishing Jumpstarts Veterans’ Healing Journey

It's a pretty established fact that fly fishing is a great way to help folks deal with lingering trauma, and Warriors & Quiet Waters has been helping veterans since 2007. A story in Whitefish Pilot describes how powerful and recent retreat on the North Fork of the Flathead River was for all involved: Ryan, a Warrior from Fargo, said during the trip...

A Brief History of Charles F. Orvis

Many people know that Orvis has been around since 1856—something of which the company is very proud—but do you know the actual history of the founder, Charles F. Orvis, for whom the CFO Reel is named? A story in the Vermont Daily Chronicle explains how the son of a general-store owner became a hotelier and then the preeminent fly-fishing tackle dealer...

A Q&A With Oliver White

Oliver White is a renowned fly fishing guide who's also made a name for himself traveling to far-flung locations in search of exotic fish. You might not know his name, but you've probably seen his face in more than a few fly fishing videos, like "A Thousand Casts" from Yeti. Ryan Chelius, over at Field & Stream, recently sat down with White for an...

April Vokey Joins Mayfly Outdoors

Mayfly Outdoors, the award-winning manufacturer of high-performance fly fishing products and parent company of Abel Reels, Ross Reels, and Airflo, is excited to announce that world-renowned fly fisher, guide, author, and conservationist April Vokey has joined the Mayfly family as a brand ambassador. Known for her work through Anchored Outdoors and...