The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians 2nd Annual Hall of Fame Luncheon & Induction Ceremony will be held Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the Southwestern Community College Swain Center, located at 60 Almond School Road, which is 7 miles west of Bryson City, on US 19/74.
Reservations are required and may be made by e-mailing info@greatsmokies.com or calling 828-488-3681. The cost is $35 per person ($10 for children under 12).
A ‘Meet and Greet’ will be from 12:00 – 12:45 pm, when lunch is served. Beau Beasley, well-known author and angler, will emcee the induction ceremony, which will be from 1:45 – 3:45 pm. The Museum, located at 210 Main Street in Bryson City, will be open for refreshments and tours from 4:15 – 6:00 pm.
New in 2017 – a pre-event fundraiser at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City at 7 pm on Friday, August 25. Sponsored by the Museum and Casting Carolinas, the event is an opportunity to meet the 2017 inductees and raise funds for Casting Carolinas, a non-profit organization that utilizes fly fishing as a means of helping patients deal with and recover from various cancers. Each inductee will select a beer to renamed after them during the event, and Nantahala Brewing will donate $1 per renamed beer sold at the event.
The 2017 Hall of Fame inductees are Lefty Kreh, Mac Brown, Jimmy Jacobs, Steve Moore, Joe Messinger, Sr. and Starr Nolan.
Bernard “Lefty” Kreh (Recreation) – Inducted on April 8, 2017 at the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival for his many contributions to fly fishing as an outdoor writer of 31 books, a fly rod designer, and an innovative fly tier especially known for his world-renowned Lefty’s Deceiver of the late 1950s.
Mac Brown (Recreation) – Inducted for his varied contributions to fly fishing as a fly fishing volunteer with many organizations; a guide, book author, instructor, and coach; and for his regional and national leadership in fly fishing competitions.
Jimmy Jacobs (Communications) – Inducted as the author of numerous fly fishing books and articles, seminar speaker, and photographer.
Stephen Edward Moore (Conservation) – Inducted for his years of dedication to the restoration of brook trout in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and his efforts in the discovery of the Southern strain of brook trout.
Joe M. Messinger, Sr. (Crafts) – Inducted as a professional fly tier who is widely recognized for creativity and wisdom in designing the famed Irresistible pattern as well as other noted creations including the Nitehummer, Messinger Frog or Bucktail Frog, Meadow Frog, Golden Frog, Dogcatcher, Bleeding Bucktail Popper, and Bleeding Hair Frog.
Starr Nolan (Humanity) – Inducted for her varied contributions to fly fishing as a fly fishing volunteer in many organizations, instructor, educator, clinical coach and for her regional and national leadership in the use of fly fishing as a method of therapy for recovering cancer patients.
Bryson City is one hour west of Asheville; two hours from Knoxville, Greenville/Spartanburg and Chattanooga; and three hours from Atlanta and Charlotte.
Website: FlyFishingMuseum.org
Source: www.thefishingwire.com.