Amidst the amity of the Edison Fly Fishing Show, a full house gathered in the Strike Room at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center to pay tribute to the extraordinarily innovative fly tyer, Bob Popovics, who was posthumously honoured with the 2025 Izaak Walton Award. AMFF Trustee Fred Polhemus introduced a moving tribute video and then handed over to angling and podcast legend Andy Mill to host a panel of some of Bob’s closest friends: Tom Lynch, Capt. Paul Dixon, Jason Taylor, Chuck Furimsky, Joe Carey, Lance Erwin, and Ed Jaworowski.
Wonderful tales were told about Bob and the Tuesday nights in his attic that evolved into the Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders. Ed remarked that Bob had “saltwater running through his veins,” and everyone agreed that it was never about the fishing with Bobby, it was about camaraderie and paying it forward to the next generation. The evening ended with Andy reading a note sent by Flip Pallot, “(Bobby) embraced the old ways of friendship and loyalty… he owned the beaches of the north-east and the mid-Atlantic and welcomed us all to stand in his sandy footsteps.”
We’d like to thank everyone for joining us last weekend. Click the button below to watch a recording of the event, and our tribute video.
Watch The Tribute Video & Event Recording
American Museum of Fly Fishing, 4070 Main Street Manchester, VT 05254, USA
