Penn State Class...

Hey all,

I know this piggy backs a previous post...
but I caught the show on OLN this morning. If I remember correctly in its history the class has had 4 instructors the most notable being George Harvey and Joe Humphreys. In the program Humphreys states that between Harvey and himself they estimate they taught 50,000 students to FF. Applying those figures to the current instructor and the other fellow, that would put those two at around 15,000. So in the 60+ years of the class roughly 65 to 70 thousand students have passed through...thats a lot of fisherman!
Which got me wondering how many of those students are still avid FF? I lurk in the background of a number of midwest FF sites (Iowa, Wis, Ill & MI) and another national site...I'm posting this question on all...are there
any active members on this site that went to PSU and took the class...if so what year??? A class thats been around that long could have some "seasoned veterans" out there...

Brookid

I was fortunate enough to take George Harvey's class at Penn State in either '64 or '65. Can't remember the exact year. A little background, at that time it was a non-credit course, given once a year (spring term) with a limit of either 10 or 12 students. It's main focus was fly tying. George Harvey was born in DuBois, Pa. on Nov. 14, 1911. I recently talked to Lefty Kreh briefly at the Atlanta fly fishing show and he said that George was still active, but of course slowing down in all aspects. I know that George and others taught other tying and fishing classes that were not associated with Penn State and it was probably in those classes that the majority of the numbers come from. I have been fly fishing for about 50 years and tying for about 40. It was an honor to have had George Harvey as the man who taught my first fly tying course.

------------------
I don't fish to live, but, I live to fish.

Somehow the math doesn't work out. That would take about a thousand students a year, and one class per year of 10-12 students is off by about two orders of magnitude.

As I stated in my original post, George and Joe Humphries taught other classes. I just got out George's book "Memories, Patterns and Tactics", and it states that George started the Penn State course in 1934, he also taught fly tying classes at Mont Alto campus with 75 to 100 in each class. He also states that he taught main campus classes early in the week and extension campus classes Wed. Thurs. and Fri evenings with as many as 50 people in a class. George retired from Penn State in 1973. At that time he was credited with instructing over 35,000 youngsters and adults in angling, casting and fly tying.

[This message has been edited by Sirrom (edited 12 March 2005).]

Joe was here in October and helped me set up the class I'm teaching at ASU (Arkansas State). The class I'm teaching has 183 in it. From what I understand it is one of the largest fly fishing classes ever in the US.

Joe and George have easily influenced that many people though. Joe traveled with the Fly Show for years. He has done literally hundreds of clinics. His videos have sold thousands of copies. I'd be willing to bet he has had at least that many students if not with PSU. I'll include myself as one of his students in that regard.

John Wilson

------------------
[url=http://www.flyfishingarkansas.com:f5bb8]http://www.flyfishingarkansas.com[/url:f5bb8]

Dear brookid,

I took the angling class at PSU in either 1979 or 1980 with Joe Humphreys as the instructor.

I had begun fly fishing in 1972 at age twelve and I took the course to improve my tying skills.

I also took a casting course taught by Joe Humphreys a semester before I took the angling class. We learned how to cast bait casting rigs and fly rods to targets on the floor of Rec Hall.

I think those were the only two "A's" I received in college.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

I was at a Fly Fishing Show in Ontario, Ca. a short time ago and Joe Humphreys was there.
Sadly, he said this was his last swing on the circuit....he's retiring.

Well deserved.

I missed it but someone mentioned that it is coming on again March 17th. Does anyone know what the title name of the show?

I met and talked with Joe H. last year. Very nice person...die hard Penn St football fan...I'm a huge Husker fan so we talked an little football...Glad I got a chance to visit with him before he retires....anyway....definetly one of the great people of our beloved sport.

So does anyone know the title name of the show on OLN?



------------------
John G.
Albuquerque, NM

fishnfool,

It was on Fly Fishing America...you might still have a chance to catch it. Its re-running quite a bit. Go to the OLN website and you can find the programming schedule.

I have a couple of Humpreys videos...one he fishes w/Harvey and talks quite abit about Penn State...I just never thought much about it until I caught the show...

I went to college many many years ago in mid michigan. I can only imagine the possibilities. The mighty "mo" ran right through campus...the pere marquette is a nine iron away and countless other small and medium size streams...

If 'ida had that option perhaps I would have put down the beer can and focused my attention else where...hhhmm

Thanks for all that have responded...I find the whole thing quite interesting.

Brookid

I would love to take that course they offer at PSU...

------------------
"GET THE DRIFT?"