RIP Lefty Kreh...

D

DanL

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Sep 25, 2014
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I saw this on Facebook; sorry if this is in the wrong forum. Anyone have a great story to tell? I've only ever read some articles from him but I understand why he was so loved...
 
Does anyone remember at the Lancaster Fly Fishing show (not sure of the year, maybe two years ago) when he was giving a casting instruction in the pond and whipped a guy in the crowd in the face? Quite humorous and I don't think he ever knew that he hit someone. Lol. I was standing pretty close to the guy that took a whip of leader right to the face.
 
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. He was one of the great legends of the sport.

For those that are not on Facebook, here is what is posted on Lefty's granddaughter's Facebook page:

It is with deepest regrets to make this announcement.

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.

During the course of the week that I’ve been here, one thing he kept mumbling was Spirit Springs, over and over. When I asked him, what or where that is, he simply replied, that’s where he’s going, to fishing heaven, to Spirit Springs.

He passed peacefully and with no pain. He was surrounded by family and loved ones.

At the time of his death, a hard wind shook the house as if he was taking the winds home to my Grandma.

As he got me into photography, he once told me he had to carry a camera with him because you never know when something may take your breath away and you want to take it home for later.

So on ending this, I know myself and all of you are going to look to the water now, and if you come to a spot where something takes your breath away, I’m going to feel his presence each time and take a photo. That way I can take a bit of the inspiration and his spirit back home with me.

Tight Lines, best wishes, and All The Best,

Sam and 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.
 
Had the pleasure of watching him do a casting seminar at the Lancaster fly fishing show last year. RIP!
 
Spent time with him twice. Once was getting a casting lesson from him at the Little Lehigh Fly Shop in the mid-90s. In almost everything, he had a better or simpler way to do it. He struck me as not very "fly fishing". I mean, he was like an opposite to Ernie Schwiebert. So much in our sport is flash. Lefty was 0 flash. He was all about function. He was never not the guy who grew up poor outside of Baltimore.
Lefty was a gift.
Syl
 
I first met him at the fly fishing show in Lancaster a few years ago, and had my picture taken with him and he signed my hat, watched the demonstration. Then I bought a phone case with a brook trout on the back and last year had him sign it. He said it was the first phone case he’d ever signed in his life. He’s the person that inspired me to start fly fishing. RIP
 
A sad day.

My condolences to the Kreh family. Their loss is our's too. The fly fishing community has come to the end of an era.
 
Met Lefty in August 1973 on Green Spring Creek in Cumberland county. I recall the date because I had just received my drivers license that week and had driven to the stream I was sitting on a log eating a sandwich when this man in a funny hat asked it was ok to skip over me. I said it was as I had just fished that water. Since my car was parked upstream, I followed about a 100 feet behind him so as to not impact his fishing. I watched in amazement as he caught fish after fish in an area I felt was devoid of fish. He must have caught and released 25 fish in the next quarter mile. It was as though he was the Pied Piper. I caught up with him as he stopped to tie on a new tippet. As we talked, he handed me a half dozen flies (Jassids). I still have those flies in a box on my tying desk. So sad to hear of his passing. He was a great embassador for our sport.
 
just_jon wrote:
Met Lefty in August 1973 on Green Spring Creek in Cumberland county. I recall the date because I had just received my drivers license that week and had driven to the stream I was sitting on a log eating a sandwich when this man in a funny hat asked it was ok to skip over me. I said it was as I had just fished that water. Since my car was parked upstream, I followed about a 100 feet behind him so as to not impact his fishing. I watched in amazement as he caught fish after fish in an area I felt was devoid of fish. He must have caught and released 25 fish in the next quarter mile. It was as though he was the Pied Piper. I caught up with him as he stopped to tie on a new tippet. As we talked, he handed me a half dozen flies (Jassids). I still have those flies in a box on my tying desk. So sad to hear of his passing. He was a great embassador for our sport.
Click to expand...

What a wonderful story that surely encapsulates the man well for those of us who never had a chance to meet him and see him in action. I saw his casting demo last year in Lancaster, but what I would give to have seen him catch all those trout! What a treasure those flies are. It's great you've kept them. Care to share a photo?
 
Lefty Kreh and Stephen Hawking in the same day. My condolences to Lefty's family (and Stephen's... though I doubt they care about fly fishing to see this).

I read Lefty's autobiography and it was a very good read. It sounded like he lived a good life.

 
Happened to notice an older gentleman a couple years ago waiting for the same S-W flight out of BWI that I was waiting for. What I noticed were his signature fishing hat and his shirt with a flyfishing logo on it - I didn't think too much of it at the time since I was visiting with my wife before we boarded. Sitting several rows behind him during the flight, I realized he was about the right age to be Lefty Kreh and said so to my wife (not that she had any clue who he was). After landing and while waiting at the baggage carousel, I approached and asked if he was who I thought. His gapped smile confirmed who he was before he said so. He then offered a handshake and introduced the younger man who was on the trip with him. (I was thinking ahead about telling my 3 boys who I met so I promptly forgot the young man's name.) Lefty seemed like a very personable guy with a bit of country boy charm. Not sure where he planned on fishing in Dallas though. "Spirit Springs" Classic.
 
Sad day for sure. He was one of those "characters" that you'll never forget meeting. Watched him and Clouser carry on a few times. They were quite good friends.
 
Lefty was the featured speaker at the TU banquet in Sharon, PA probably 30+ years ago. I remember his casting demo, where he just was a master whipping that line out there with such distance and grace. I was a teenager taking it all in, then someone in the crowd says “hey you are casting with your right arm, aren’t you left handed”. He said “yes but it’s better when I demonstrate this way”. Wow was that a wake up call about how good he was.

But my more lasting memory was his slide show where a big part of it was little things you should do just to be better prepared on the water and in your life. He gave probably 15-20 such tips and to this day I carry 3 band-aids in my wallet because it was one of Lefty’s tips. I have used those band-aids so many times whether it was to stop the bleeding when I extracted a hook from my finger on Oil Creek or when I slit my finger gutting a Grouse in Minnesota, I have Lefty to thank.
 
nice tribute, nyt:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/obituaries/lefty-kreh-a-fly-fisherman-with-few-peers-is-dead-at-93.html
 
As a kid, he was my hero!! Truly a legend and apparently just a wonderful man.

How does someone so esteemed get associated with the Buccaneer and Bones reprobates, and Spring Ridge??
 
I got to hang out with him and some of the old heads a couple times at the old Somerset shows back in the late 90s early 00s. Very generous with knowledge and very humble for a man who could cast a fly line without a rod. His Deceiver pattern means a lot to me, partially because its success became an inside joke amongst the PA striper guys. "What are they eating?" "White Deceivers."
 
Had the pleasure of seeing Lefty's casting demo a few times through the years, but the best memory is the day he ask me onto the stage at the Penns Woods West Cabin Fever a few years ago to demonstrate how two people can get a stuck fly rod apart.
What a wonderful man who has helped an endless number of people to be better at this sport and to be better people in general. The world could use a few more "Leftys" right now.
He will be missed greatly.
 
I met Lefty at the Somerset show a few years ago and he was just an awesome person to talk to. I got an autograph from him and we spoke for a little and I thanked him for taking the time to talk to me. A true gentleman to the sport and a true lesson on how living a life that brings you and others joy is what is more important than anything else. Rest in peace Lefty.
 
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