Saturday marked the kickoff of the Southern Trout “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame program. On February 3rd 2017 at The Fly Fishing Show in Atlanta, Georgia, a ceremony will be held to officially induct six grandfathered in anglers and announce six additional inductees chosen by online balloting. The ceremony will be the first of its kind to recognize and commemorate the past and present historical contributions of fly fishing anglers for trout south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Grandfathered into the Southern Trout “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame are Ernest Peckinbaugh of Chattanooga, Tennessee who founded the region’s first commercial trout fly operation in the early 1900s; the Ozarks’ Dave Whitlock who pioneered fly fishing for trout in his region and is a renowned trout artist; Alabama’s Harry Middleton who authored what many regard as the region’s finest trout fishing literature; Georgia’s Charley Elliot who is the longest serving editor of Outdoor Life Magazine and a proponent of fly fishing for trout in the South; Arkansas’s Jim Gaston who pioneered trout fishing on the White River; and Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Don Pfitzer who pioneered tailwater trout fishing in the Appalachians.
Southern Trout Magazine is humbled by the opportunity to be a part of bringing much deserved recognition to the rich heritage and tradition of fly fishing for trout in the South. The grandfathered inductees represent the tip of the iceberg of individuals whose passion for fly fishing for trout is reflected in their contributions to this unique sport. Future inductees will be chosen by online balloting, which makes this a unique, people’s choice recognition program.
The “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame event will occur on the evening of February 3rd in conjunction with its first sponsor, The Fly Fishing Show. The country’s largest consumer fly fishing show circuit is holding it first ever show in Atlanta in 2017. The “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame ceremony is one of the headline events in show where vendor space has already been sold out.
“We are pleased and honored for The Fly Fishing Show to be a keystone part of the “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame event in Atlanta,” says Ben Furmisky, CEO of The Fly Fishing Show. “The fly fishing industry regards the South as the fastest growing segment of the fly-fishing market, and acknowledges the importance of recognizing the rich, often overlooked tradition of fly fishing in the region.” Southern Trout and the Fly Fishing Show are humbled by the opportunity to be a part of bringing much-deserved recognition to the rich heritage and tradition of fly fishing for trout in the South.
Starting today, everyone is encouraged to vote for up to six anglers who names and biographic information is located at http://www.southerntrout.com/hall-of-fame/. Currently the list of candidate exceeds three dozen anglers from across the region both past and present. Balloting occurs from September through December.
Website: www.thefishingwire.com.