Archives: Inductees

Ambassador

Don Ray Howell

Don Ray Howell (1943-1998) was born in Mitchell County in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. He lived inn Brevard, North Carolina. Along with his partner and brother Dwight, they ran their

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John Zimmerman

John Zimmerman was born and lives in Morganton, North Carolina. Along with his life long friend and co founder Taylor, they created the non-profit organization, Casting for Hope. Away from

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Humanities

Taylor Sharp

Taylor Sharp was born in Morganton, North Carolina and lives in New York. Along with his life long friend and co founder Taylor, they created the non-profit organization, Casting for

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Crafts

Davy Wotton

Davy Wotton first hooked into a trout in the early 1950’s on the family farm in Canterbury, Kent, UK.  While at school he was given fly tying material which further

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Recreation

Dave Whitlock

Dave Whitlock is a native to Oklahoma but lived in Tennessee for a few years when he was very young. Dave has been casting a fly since he was 9-years

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Recreation

Wanda Hair Taylor

Wanda Hair Taylor was born in Dawnville, Georgia and lives in Dalton, Georgia, has been a professional fly fishing guide and instructor since the 80’s and has been fishing since

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Conservation

Michael R. ‘Squeak’ Smith

Michael R. “Squeak” Smith was born on November 1, 1948 in Alma, Michigan and grew up in Michigan around fly fishing as his grandfather was a fishing guide. Squeak caught

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Humanities

Joyce Shepherd

Joyce Shepherd was born in Eastern North Carolina and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She serves on the Boards of NCWF, NC Council of TU, Rocky River Chapter of TU

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Communications

Jen Ripple

Jen Ripple was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and lives in Dover, Tennessee.  She is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the international fly fishing lifestyle magazine, DUN Magazine, growing to a

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Humanities

Starr Nolan

Starr Nolan was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She attended Wade Hampton High School and received her Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina.

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Ambassador

Bob Nanney

Inducted for his leadership and commitment to fly fishing and the museum. Bob was recognized in 2018 for his many hours of dedication to promoting the museum at Fly Fishing

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Conservation

Stephen Edward Moore

Stephen Edward Moore received his B.S. degree in Biology from Western Carolina University and married his wife, Susan Elizabeth Genes in 1976. He received his M. S. in Biology from

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Crafts

Joe M. Messinger, Sr.

Joe Messinger, Sr.,1892-1966, was a resourceful and talented fly tier who experienced serious war injuries and was told that he’d be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his

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Conservation

Malcolm Leaphart

Malcolm Leaphart maintained a Trout Unlimited ‘office’ in his home in South Carolina for over 30 years, dealing with issues on the local, state, regional, and national levels. He networked

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Conservation

Mike LaVoie

Mike LaVoie was born in Western New York and lives in Sylva, North Carolina. He coordinates all environmental and natural resource issues related to rivers and streams within the tribal

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Recreation

Bernard “Lefty” Kreh

Bernard “Lefty” Kreh has converted more people to fly fishing than anyone ever likely will, giving selflessly with his teaching skills, innovations, humor, and adding to the level of satisfaction

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Communications

Don Kirk

Donald Wayne Kirk grew up being taught basic fishing and camping skills by his father, Arnold Kirk. Most of his summers were spent camping in the mountains. His father and

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Recreation

Captain Jacob (Jake) Jordan

Captain Jacob “Jake” Jordan was born in West Region, United Kingdom and lives in Havelock, North Carolina. Jordan is a world-famous Florida Keys tarpon guide and world-renowned big game fly

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Communications

Jimmy Jacobs

Jimmy Jacobs was born in Atlanta, Georgia and lives in Marietta, Georgia. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association Hall of Fame and recipient of numerous state

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Crafts

Kevin Howell

While growing up Kevin was influenced by his father Don R. Howell a nationally recognized fly tier and Rod Builder, Kevin Also garnered knowledge from his Uncle Dwight G. Howell

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Ambassador

Dwight G. Howell

Dwight G. Howell, North Carolina (Ambassadors) – Inducted together posthumously for their leadership and commitment in sharing a lifetime of knowledge as regional pioneers as TU state board members, rod

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Humanities

Ryan Harman

Ryan Harman was born in a small town in West Virginia. Ryan learned early to appreciate the outdoors and spent much of his youth chasing after the trout and small-mouth

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Ambassador

Jackie Greene

Jacqueline (Jackie) Davis Greene was born in New Castle Indiana and currently resides in Hickory North Carolina. “Fishing is something I’ve loved since I sat on the dock in Northern

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Humanities

George Gaines

George was born in 1939 and was raised on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Louisiana. Taught to love fishing by his Dad, he spent his youth on the coasts

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Recreation

Curtis Fleming

Inducted for his varied contributions to fly fishing as a fly fishing volunteer, fly fishing educator, fly fishing guide, and “Reality Fly Fishing” TV celebrity. A West Virginia fly fisherman,

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Communications

Jim Dean

Jim Dean (1940-2017) was born in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and lived in Raleigh, North Carolina for much of his adult life. He began fly fishing with Lefty Kreh while stationed

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Communications

Jim Casada

Jim Casada is a son of the Smokies who was born in Sylva but grew up and cut his sporting teeth in Bryson City, NC. He lives in Rock Hill,

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Crafts

Walter Oliver Cary

Walter Oliver Cary hails from Strasburg, Virginia. He entered military service at a young age, enlisting in the U. S. Army and seeing overseas duty during 1951-52 in the Korean

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Recreation

Mac Brown

Mac Brown has lived in Bryson City, North Carolina, for much of his adult life. In 1987, he started McLeod’s Highland Fly Fishing as an independent guide and educator. The

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Communications

Joe Brooks

Joe Brooks (1901-1972 posthumous) from Port Deposit, Maryland is often called “the world’s best and greatest fly fisherman.” As a close friend to Joe, Lefty Kreh’s foreword to Joe Brooks

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Conservation

Phil H. Bracewell, Sr.

Phil H. Bracewell, Sr. (1918-2011), who lived in Hickory, North Carolina, was a founding director of Trout Unlimited and Ducks Unlimited NC, founding trustee of NC Nature Conservancy, and founder

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Ambassador

Alen Baker

Initiated the vision for the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians and has recruited ongoing support (pledges, volunteer hours and content initiatives) from all southeastern states. Alen recently served

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Crafts

Walter Babb

Walter Babb was born in Lenoir City, Tennessee and lives in Sweetwater, Tennessee. He is the originator of the Smoky Mountain Candy,  a Wulff-like fly pattern that is highly effective

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