It’s come full circle. The man who most influenced my love of fly fishing (and subsequent careers as a sport shop owner and outdoor writer) has now touched the life of Laura, my fly-fishing daughter.
In the late 60’s and early 70’s, fly shops were as scarce as possums that looked both ways before crossing a road.
Yet, that’s when I caught a severe case of fly fishing and fly-tying fever.
My buddy, Harry Bailes, said that I could buy stuff from a fellow named Harry Murray, who owned a pharmacy (and fly shop) in Edinburg. Weekly, I would call Harry and put in an order for a bobbin of black tying thread or a whip finish tool or some rooster hackle, and the next day it was in my mailbox.
Then my friend said that Harry Murray was offering a combination fly-tying class and a brook trout seminar in Harrisonburg, so we both signed up and that was it for me. I became officially obsessed with tying and fishing. Not long after I took Harry’s class, I tied a rough facsimile of one of Harry Murray’s Mr. Rapidan dry flies, flipped it at the head of a pool on Swift Run and somehow tricked an 8-inch brook trout to eat it. It was a crowning achievement in my outdoor life.
Last weekend, Laura made it a point to stop by and meet Harry Murray as she passed through Edinburg on a trip to the Valley where she, too, would fish for brook trout.
Harry has not changed a bit, except his red hair is not as thick as it once was. Harry remains as enthusiastic about fly tying and fly fishing as ever. I would bet that he has taught or given seminars to over 10,000 students in his career. He is still a noted writer and tyer and has an amazing fly shop.
I’m sure Laura will now also be calling Harry on a regular basis for materials and advice. And as always, Harry Murray, the Premiere Ambassador of Fly Fishing, will be there to help.
