# RIP Lefty



## Fritz (Jan 17, 2017)

What a life he had, that's my idea of a successful man!


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

A genuine fishing institution and member of the greatest generation (WWII veteran). He will be missed.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

He had one hell of a run. I'll knock back a glass of scotch for him tonight.


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## sabaird1221 (May 4, 2013)

Cheers to Lefty. Thanks for everything you have taught us.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Rest easy Lefty. I would say may the wind always be at your back, but God knows the wind could never stop you. Well done Sir, on a life lived right! 

Tight Lines


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

crap. RIP.


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## sevenweight (Sep 3, 2015)

RIP Lefty. I started learning from him more than fifty years ago.


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

A truly great and humble man. Never be another.


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## Bruce J (Mar 4, 2018)

He's a superstar if there ever was one for saltwater fly fishing, and a super nice guy too.


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

Info on memorial contributions can be seen on Dan Blantons fly fishing forum. I was fortunate enough to have him sign a print of his deceiver at a Tie Fest when I lived on the Eastern Shore of MD. He had done one of his casting demo/instruction sessions. Was a treat.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

LowHydrogen said:


> Rest easy Lefty. I would say may the wind always be at your back, but God knows the wind could never stop you. Well done Sir, on a life lived right!
> 
> Tight Lines


Well said.

What an amazing person that has left such a massive and influential imprint on the sport. I had the honor of meeting him and talking shop for a bit. Such a pleasure to meet.


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

We will never know just how many people got into fly fishing because of that great man. Lord knows his techniques and knowledge has helped my cast. Thanks for all you’ve done for me and for fishing. The world is a little bit darker place without you.


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## Danny Moody (Jan 22, 2016)

One of reasons I took up this crazy obsession 27 years ago. A great man and a great loss for our beloved sport.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/...y-fisherman-with-few-peers-is-dead-at-93.html


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

https://www.anglersjournal.com/peop...content=buttonlink&utm_campaign=180314_TheRun


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Wow a true legend that will be surely missed. Always loved watching him and Flip fish together very sad to hear.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

A msg from Rick Pope....

Here is the message from Lefty's family:

_Dear friends,

I am sorry to relay sad information to all of you.

Bernard Victor Kreh “Lefty” passed away today in the presence of his family. He passed without pain. He told us multiple times during the worsening of his illness how lucky he was to have so many friends. During these last few weeks he was so sick and without energy that he was unable to respond to any emails and the many phone messages left for him. I can say this was a-great comfort to him. 

There will be a celebration of his life in the upcoming weeks. We will update you when plans are made. 

Lefty would want us to celebrate life and not mourn him. 

Tight Lines, best wishes,

The Kreh Family_

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to: Greater Baltimore Medical Center / Gilchrist hospice in honor of Lefty Kreh to Mail to: GBMC Philanthropy, 6701 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21204; or online at https://www.gbmc.org/donate (Under “Designation” choose “Other.” Then in the next field, type: “Lefty Kreh Memorial”); or call: 443-849-3303.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Lefty was a gentleman, a character with lots of charisma and an iconic symbol in fly fishing. He had his views on things, and "_that's just the way it is..._"

What a passion for life and the wonderful sport we all enjoyed. I always enjoyed my conversations with him and having my casting school by no other than the great caster himself. And the stories... ah yes, the stories he told, of adventures, the places, the people and the relationships. And the jokes... all timed perfectly in any given conversation.

He's truly made his mark in this world, in this great sport of fly fishing and a serious impression on me. A mentor, a scholar, a trail blazer, a bard and considered most as good friends. He will be truly missed!

Tight lines my friend! 

Ted Haas


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## Snooter2tooter (Mar 14, 2018)

He fought at the battle of the bulge. He had a strain of anthrax named after him called BVK1 after he contracted it. The army took his blood and made a stronger strain. Not to mention one of the most influential fly fisherman ever. What a legend.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Here's a better profile from a great magazine, Garden & Gun:
http://gardenandgun.com/feature/southern-master-the-legend-of-lefty/


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Sad to hear, but what a legacy to leave behind.


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## Tx_Whipray (Sep 4, 2015)

20ish years ago I bought a copy of Lefty's "Fly Fishing in Salt Water", and a Sage RPLXi 8wt from my buddy Alvin Dedeaux at the Austin Angler and I've been consumed with fly fishing ever since. Last fall I guided my 10 year old to his first Redfish on fly, and now he's consumed with it, too. Lefty has left a huge mark on my life and the life of fly fishers the world over. I guess I'll pull down my well thumbed copy of Fly Fishing in Salt Water and give it another read...or better yet, maybe I'll give it to my son to read.


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## bone1fish (May 8, 2016)

Vialla con Dios


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's what I wrote on another site.... Like most I consider myself lucky to have met and talked with Lefty over the years...


I was lucky enough to be introduced to Lefty in the spring of 1972 by a young man named John Emery... At that time Lefty was the outdoor writer for the Miami Herald (this was a few years before he moved up to Maryland...). I was working at that time at a local tackle shop and just beginning to realize just how much I wanted to learn about everything related to fishing. We met at J. Lee Cuddy's - the only place back then that carried rod building components - and many, many locals built their own rods since what we needed wasn't being offered in any stores. Lefty struck me as a real gentleman - and that opinion only grew stronger over the years. For those that don't recognize the name Emery - he was a club fishing fanatic back then who went on to become one of the premier south florida fishing guides (fishing out of a Challenger hull, of course...) and later designed and built the first big game fly reel after Fin Nor and SeaMaster... If you can find an Emery reel today you'll have to pay big bucks for it since all of them were built by hand like the Fin Nor and SeaMaster reels... Emery was one of the folks down here whose life was cut short by melanoma - he passed away at 38... Way back then John was just an employee at Cuddy's and helped this beginner pick out the components for my first fishing rods (about four years before I got interested in fly fishing...). I still have one or two of those old fiberglass rods in my shop somewhere... All of this was well before the first graphite rod blanks came on the scene (nowadays some are calling them "carbon fiber" - and probably charging more....).



Years later, when I was a commercial fly tyer, I'd work every show in south Florida that would have me - tying flies and learning from other tyers and the various really skilled folks who worked the show circuit year in and year out. Even though we only met every year or two Lefty made a point of saying Hi and I always enjoyed seeing him. By then he'd published more than a few books - and I read every one from cover to cover to pick up anything I could. I still have the first of his books that came out in 1974 on saltwater fly fishing (and still find reasons to look up things in it - all these years later...). When I finally began to write a few short pieces for magazines - Lefty's book on photography was my primer for outdoor pics (no, I'm not very skilled - but I'm trying...).



Lefty was one of many that I was lucky enough to meet and learn from down here - Miami was a different town way back when... Thinking about Lefty... I should live so long - and accomplish maybe half of what he did...


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

My aunt went to school with him in Frederick MD. All my Sicilian mothers family came from Frederick. My Sicilian aunt worked with him at Fort Derrick. I never mentioned any of this to him the times I spoke to him on the phone or in person. He put my bonefish fly in his saltwater fly book
I'm not saying we where personal friends but he made you feel you where


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## bonehead (Dec 9, 2016)

I never got to meet Le... Mr. Kreh. The owner at the local fly shop here was friends with him, and he said that Mr. Kreh was "one of the good ones". I guess that's kind of self-explanatory, and I believe it when I see a video of him at 92 years old teaching a young person some fly casting (ICAST I believe), impromptu. 

I've always made it a point of helping my buddies (or anyone willing to listen) out with their casting. To me, it is more rewarding to see someone get the hang of a double haul after showing them the ropes than catching a first snook on fly, per say. 

Let's all try and follow the example he left behind for us.

RIP


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Tilted a glass of Gentlemen Jack to him while in Flamingo this weekend, RIP, thanks for what you gave to the sport.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Snooter2tooter said:


> He fought at the battle of the bulge. He had a strain of anthrax named after him called BVK1 after he contracted it. The army took his blood and made a stronger strain. Not to mention one of the most influential fly fisherman ever. What a legend.


That just makes me respect him even more than I already did and every veteran and first responder out there.


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## Palma Sola (Jun 5, 2016)

I was lucky to meet Lefty about 10 years ago, where he gave my wife and I a casting lesson on the pond near his house in Monkton.. he invited us into his home, and we were happy to see a photo of the Grand Ronde river in eastern Oregon in his living room. He told us it was one of his favorite steelhead rivers, my wife is from Oregon and that made her smile.. 
He is a a true legend, 
but never thought of himself in that way.. He was a fisherman and a friend to those that shared the love for the water..
RIP Lefty


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