Lefty Kreh statue ‘maquette’ to be unveiled Sept. 10 | Travel And Outdoors

A couple of years ago the Potomac Valley Fly Fishers, of which Lefty was a founding member, decided to establish a memorial to the fly-fishing legend who fished with locals, celebrities and world leaders internationally. The memorial idea evolved from naming a section of the Monocacy Scenic River to the Lefty Kreh Scenic Trail to a life-size statue of Kreh, said Andy Mekelburg, president of Friends of Lefty Kreh, which is spearheading the project. The fly was cast, a committee established, permissions granted and a sculptor selected, the nationally known Toby Mendez, whose studio is in Knoxville.

The maquette, a small-scale version of the statue, will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Sept. 10 at the Skater’s Shelter along Culler Lake in Baker Park, 201 W. College Terrace, Frederick, near where the completed life-size sculpture will be placed. The sculpture will depict Lefty donning waders with a fly rod in hand and casting into the waters of the lake. The completed sculpture will be located near the Skater’s Shelter.

State Sen. Ron Young assisted in getting a state bond, and the Ausherman Foundation made a “generous donation” to get the project started, Mekelburg said. Journalist Tom Brokaw and actor Michael Keaton are honorary co-chairmen, along with Bob Clouser, inventor of the famous Clouser Minnow. Clouser, who Mekelburg said recently joined PVFF, has been instrumental in sharing the project with the fly-fishing community and fundraising, along with several other fly fishing industry leaders. To date, about 60 percent of the $275,000 price tag for the project has been raised, said Mekelburg. The project has also been featured in fly fishing magazines.

Recent donors include pro golfer Jack Nicklaus, who shared some of his memories of Lefty.

“It takes rhythm and leverage to hit a golf ball. Lefty Kreh used rhythm and leverage to become the fly-fishing GOAT,” he wrote in a statement.

He also recalled using a fly for bonefishing called Bill’s Crab, which he described to Lefty, who then asked Nicklaus, “How do you work this fly.”

“Lefty Kreh, asking someone who fishes for a hobby how to do something for which he is known as the best of all time. I was very flattered by that,” Nicklaus wrote.

Mendez, whose works include the Thurgood Marshall Memorial in Annapolis and the Baltimore Orioles legend sculptures of Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken Jr., Earl Weaver and Eddie Murray for Camden Yards, will be present for the maquette unveiling on Sept. 10, along with city and county officials and members of PVFF.

There will also be fly-casting demonstrations and a fly-casting clinic (no prior experience is required), a raffle sponsored by Beaver Creek Fly Shop, and a clean up of the lake by the Skater’s Shelter where debris often accumulates.

“We’ll wade in and clean up the water,” Mekelburg said. “Bring your waders” and be part of the fun.

Born in 1925, Lefty graduated from Frederick High School in 1942 and was inducted into the Army in 1943, serving during the Battle of the Bulge of World War II. He returned to Frederick and worked as a civilian at Camp Detrick, later renamed Fort Detrick. A lifelong outdoorsman, Lefty fished the local waters with a passion and even guided anglers on the Potomac River. One of them was Joe Brooks, an outdoor writer from Baltimore whose credits include fishing editor for Outdoor Life magazine. It was Brooks who introduced Lefty to fly fishing.

Lefty was the outdoor columnist for The Frederick News-Post until the mid-1960s when he left Maryland for Florida to manage the largest saltwater tournament in Florida, the Metropolitan Miami Fishing Tournament. He returned to Maryland eight years later and was outdoor editor for The Baltimore Sun until he retired.

He created the artificial fly Lefty’s Deceiver in the 1950s. It became one of the best-known saltwater fly patterns in the world. He is the author of several books on fly casting and fishing techniques and tips. And he is known for his “All the best” signature.

He has received numerous lifetime achievement awards and was inducted into both the Freshwater Fishing and the International Game Fish Association halls of fame. Fly Fisherman magazine has hailed him as “fly fishing’s greatest ambassador.”

Though he traveled the world fishing, Lefty often returned to his native Frederick County for speaking presentations and casting demonstrations. The angler was also known for his sense of humor. At a fly casting event in Middletown several years ago, he joked that he could teach any woman how to fly fish, except his wife.

To learn more about the Lefty Kreh memorial maquette unveiling or to make a donation to the project, visit friendsofleftykreh.com.