Paul Arden | Wednesday, 28 March 2018
Last week I heard that Lefty had passed on. Lefty was one of the greatest US fly fishing ikons. I was lucky to have met Lefty at the Denver Fly Tackle Dealers show quite a few years ago (2006, maybe) and we had an hour of casting together on the pond one morning prior to the show opening.
I found him to be a most likeable chap and would loved to have spent more time together. However that was the year I had problems getting into the US and unfortunately we never had the chance to meet again.
Here is Lefty’s obituary in the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/obituaries/lefty-kreh-a-fly-fisherman-with-few-peers-is-dead-at-93.html
And this message came via one of the IFF study groups:
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