Mid-South Fly Fishers
Education - Conservation - Fellowship
Bear grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and considered the White River as his home waters. Bear is a retired colonel who served 35 years in the Army and received the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star awards. He is also a lifetime member of Fly Fishers International and Trout Unlimited. After he started four FFF-affiliated clubs in Germany and the Czech Republic, FFI recognized him with its 1990 FFF Ambassador Award. Bear also inaugurated the FFF Junior Flyfishers and, in conjunction with that effort, edited the Junior Flyfishers Journal and directed regional and national youth events. Bear currently serves as the assistant program director with SW Colorado Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and as President of the 5 Rivers TU chapter in Durango. As a master-certified casting instructor, he enjoys teaching both beginning and experienced fishers the casting art in a variety of venues. With a passion for conservation, he has led projects in stream and habitat restoration, planting Whitlock-Vibert boxes, and netting invasive lake trout in Yellowstone Lake. As a lifetime fly fisher, he has fished across Europe, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, and from the Bahamas to Christmas Island. Besides serving as a Sage Fly Rods casting instructor for 15 years, he has assisted product development products for Sage, Ross Reels and Simms. Bear's feature presentation will be "A Southern Rockies Odyssey".