Rest In Peace, Lefty
On March 14, legendary fly-fisherman Bernard “Lefty” Kreh, passed away at his home in Cockeysville. He was 93.
Kreh was arguably the most famous fly-fisherman in the world, but he was also one of our own, a Marylander through and through.
He was born in Frederick and cut his teeth fishing for catfish in the Monocacy River as a teen. Later, when he returned to Maryland after serving in the Army and fighting in World War II, he took up fly fishing at the urging of a friend who admired his bass fishing skills. The rest, they say, is history.
Not only did he develop a new casting technique and many successful freshwater and saltwater fly patterns, Lefty was a bit of a Renaissance man. He was both a teacher and mentor to many fly fishing enthusiasts. And, although he had no formal training in journalism, was a popular columnist for The Baltimore Sun for
many years and prolific author of fly fishing books.
My father had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions and watching him cast. He was always impressed by Lefty’s perfect aim and often told the story of how he once witnessed Lefty casting around a rock on the other side of a stream.
Lefty rubbed elbows with a lot of famous people over the course of his career including President George H.W. Bush, Ernest Hemingway, and Fidel Castro. But he remained a down-to-earth kind of guy who always had time for regular folks. He was never too busy to stop and shake hands, answer a question or offer a piece of advice at fishing shows.
His was a phenomenal talent that will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Lefty.
Take a boating safety course
It still doesn’t feel much like spring, even though the calendar says otherwise. But it won’t be long before many of us are itching to wet a line or spend a sunny afternoon cruising the local waterways.
Maryland law requires anyone born after July 1, 1972 to take and pass a boating safety course to legally operate a motorboat on any Maryland controlled water. Operators are required to carry a certificate at all times when operating a vessel. Fines can range from $25 for the first offense to up to $500 for subsequent violations.
I remember taking the course back in high school, much like driver’s ed, sitting in a high school classroom over the summer. But nowadays you don’t have to leave your house or even put on pants to satisfy this requirement. There’s a free online course available from BoatUS.
BoatUS has teamed up with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators to offer no-cost online boating safety courses for 36 states, including Maryland.
Go to www.BoatUS.org/ free to find out more about the
course and register. You can start, stop and start again where you left off any time of day or night in the comfort of your own home. Once you’ve completed the course and passed the multiple-choice exam, you can print the certificate at home or purchase a waterproof card for $10.
The content includes interactive animations, videos and photos to give boaters an education
that goes well beyond the basics of boating. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that 80 percent of boating deaths occurred on boats where the operator had never received boating education instruction.
Follow the law. You don’t want to end up a statistic. Sign up now for free.
Registration open for BOW event
Ladies (and gentlemen), Mar yland’s Becoming an Outdoors
Woman program has just opened up registration for a Beyond BOW birding workshop to be held in Garrett County May 4 and 5.
The weekend includes a review of local birds and the basics of bird identification, a beautiful spring hike in Sang Run State Park and an evening hike to listen for nightjars, owls and other nighttime creatures.
This event was developed for beginner to intermediate birders who are able to traverse flat and hilly terrain at a leisurely
pace. Snacks and lunch will be provided on May 4.
The cost is $40 per person. For more information and to register, go to http://dnr.mar yland. gov/wildlife/Pages/Education/bow.aspx.
Mentored Turkey Hunt coming
This last opportunity I almost kept under wraps since my daughter is applying.
The Wildlife and Heritage Ser vice division of the Maryland Department
of Natural Resources has partnered up with the National Wild Turkey Federation to offer a special turkey hunting event next month. The 2018 Mentored Turkey Hunt will take place April 21 and 22 at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
This hunting opportunity is designed to introduce first-time hunters of any age to turkey hunting. Each participant will be paired up with a skilled veteran hunter. Hunters under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Space is limited and participants will be selected via a random lottery.
While hunter safety certification is not necessar y for acceptance to the workshop, participants who are selected must obtain a valid Mar yland Hunting License or Apprentice License within two days of selection. For more information, go to http:// dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/hunt_trap/ HSS_Outreach.aspx.