AMFF Posthumously Honors Bob Popovics with the 2025 Izaak Walton Award

Bob Popovics, hailed by Lefty Kreh as the greatest fly tyer of all time, was an extraordinary innovator of saltwater flies whose designs inspired generations. Beyond his legacy as the creator of flies such as the Bucktail Deceiver, Surf Candy, and Beast Fleye, he was known to have a heart of gold and would share his knowledge and time with anyone who expressed an interest. His greatest joy, besides his family, was to foster a supportive sense of community among fly tyers.

Bob and his Bucktail Deceiver were featured in AMFF’s traveling exhibit On Fly in Salt: Saltwater Fishing from the Surf to the Flats: “Through the 1970s, Bob Popovics’ innovative techniques blazed through the tying world. His use of silicone and epoxy resulted in new patterns that were widely copied. Favorites include the epoxy-cloaked Surf Candy, which survives sharp-toothed predators, and the Bucktail Deceiver, which uses natural materials while tying in all the fibers at once and distributing them with your fingers. The fly is usually tied on a long-shank hook with the longest hairs at the bend. Fibers become shorter as they progress along the shank. Each bucktail pinch is distributed around the shank giving the fly a more three-dimensional look. The fly is extremely durable and light. The pattern led to the development of an even lighter baitfish imitator tied with bucktail in reverse style: the Hollow Fly.”

In 1970, as a Marine just back from Vietnam, Bob became a pupil of the newly founded Salt Water Fly Rodders of American (SWFROA) and at a chapter meeting in the Outer Banks, he met Lefty Kreh who would become a life-long friend and mentor. Over a decade later, it was under the auspices of the SWFROA that Bob started organising weekly meetings where dozens of anglers would gather to exchange ideas and try out new techniques, with Bob encouraging them and lending his expert advice.

He was the author of two books which are considered ‘must-reads’ for any saltwater fly tier. Pop Fleyes: Bob Popovics’s Approach to Saltwater Fly Design, which he wrote with Ed Jaworowski in 2000, highlights the effective family of fly patterns Bob developed over three decades. His flies became known as ‘Pop Fleyes,’ which incorporates his name with the fact that eyes are a prominent feature in his designs. In 2016, along with Jay Nichols, he brought out Fleye Design: Techniques, Insights, Patterns. True to Bob’s ethos of supporting younger fly tyers, there is a section of fly patterns and tying tips from a new generation: Jonny King, David Nelson, Dave Skok, Steve Farrar, and Blane Chocklett.

In June 2024, members of the AMFF team visited Bob at his restaurant, The Shady Rest in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, to tell him that he would be the recipient of the 2025 Izaak Walton Award. Hearing that he would be honored by the Museum clearly meant the world to Bob. It was only a few months later that he tragically passed away. AMFF is currently planning a new exhibit at the Manchester, Vermont, gallery to commemorate Bob’s extraordinary contribution to the sport that he loved.