Lefty

I said a few words and posted a video on the FrankenFly Facebook page last night, but I wanted to most certainly post a little more about Lefty here on the main website.

Sadly, we lost the greatest icon of our sport yesterday. Lefty Kreh passed away surrounded by family. Here is the information written by his granddaughter, Sam, and his family.

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“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.”

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I unfortunately never had a chance to meet Lefty, but as a fly fisherman, he of course had an impact.
When I came across articles written by him or about him, I paid attention. When he was on the television show, Buccaneers & Bones, I concentrated on his parts in the show the most. When I casted my TFO BVK rod for the first time and loved the feel and castability of the rod, I knew it was because Lefty had been involved in the design.

As a fly tyer, it goes even further. Lefty’s Deceiver is huge in fly tying. Do you know how many times I’ve tied Schlappen feathers together in the back of a tail to form that wicked kicking Deceiver tail! The same reason countless other fly tyers have done this, because of Lefty’s Deceiver.
I posted about Lefty’s Potomac River Popper here on FrankenFly back in 2015. What’s even better, is I am using Rainy’s Lefty’s Poppin’ Bug Popper Heads now to tie poppers.

So even to someone in this sport that has never met Lefty in person, he has had an impact in multiple ways and I am positive that he will continue to have an impact on many fly fishers in this wonderful sport of ours, forever. I will leave you with this interesting video on Lefty by Eric Stroup.

I sincerely hope you are up there casting that fly rod Lefty!
-Paul J. Beel