With a very heavy heart, I regretfully inform you of the passing of George Harvey - the “Dean of Pennsylvania Fly Fishing”, this afternoon. No words I could possibly write could do justice, in death, to what he has done in life. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family. May the Heavenly waters be as lovely as his beloved Spring Creek. Tight Lines George…
Another Pennsylvania legend passes into the memories of those fortunate enough to have known of their legacy and contributions and wise enough to have seeked their wisdom while they were still with us.
To George; a tip of the cap and bowed rod from one PA angler to another.
A big loss to fly fishing. His contributions to the sport are limitless. I had the honor of meeting with him during an informal fish-in arranged by Springcreekguy at State College about 13/15 years ago. We had an opportunity to watch his deft hands tie a few of his signature flies and demonstrate his casting prowess. Even then, at his advanced age, it was awesome to observe. He leaves a rich legacy. May he rest in peace.
A great loss to all of us. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. The best thing we can do is to continue to pay it forward in honor of him.
It was my great privilage to have had Mr. Harvey as an instructor in his fly tying course at Penn State in the early '60’s. I was also honored to have been able to fish with him several times when I was a student. It saddens me to learn of his passing. He will be greatly missed.
To quote from Isaak Walton’s “The Compleat Angler”—“An excellent angler, and now with God.”
Chuck
I too had the pleasure to meet George at several of the Fly fishing Symposiums at Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. One could learn so much just from watching him tie a few flies! And his lecture/stories kept everyone spellbound! It is indeed a great loss to the fishing community. He will be missed! G.
I was looking at a book of his last night & read this post this morning. Now I’m thinking about how odd & short life cycles can be.
He is a legend.
Later,
an Oregonian
Unfortunately, this one slipped by me until today, when a friend emailed the obituary to me. I was out of town dealing with a death in my own family. I never met George Harvey but I read everything he ever wrote as well as that of Joe Humphreys (who I have met on a few occasions). Joe credits everything he knows, coming from George. I have to say that it’s a great loss, but I also think about all that he has passed along. What a nice legacy.