Fanny Bienstock Krieger was born and raised in France. After losing her parents and her sister during the Nazi occupation of her home country, Krieger immigrated to the United States to begin anew. While in Houston, Texas, she met her future husband, Mel Krieger (1928–2008), and began her fly-fishing career. In 1964, the family moved to San Francisco, where Krieger started a successful business arranging travel visas. As her husband began tournament casting, fly fishing became a regular and important part of Krieger’s life.

Along with friend Susan Williams, and with strong support from many male anglers in the area, Krieger founded the Golden West Women Flyfishers in 1983. A total of twenty-one invitations were mailed to known women anglers, and Krieger and Williams were hoping to hear back from six of the group. All twenty-one invitees responded, becoming the first members of the club. The club now has more than 150 members, has monthly meetings, and coordinates important conservation, education, and fishing programs in the San Francisco area.

Next on Krieger’s agenda was a gathering of women anglers from around the world. In 1996, she convinced the president of the Golden West Women Flyfishers to sponsor a festival in San Francisco. More than 200 invitations were mailed to women in the fly-fishing industry, artists, writers, guides, and instructors; Rosalynn Carter was the honorary chair of the event. The first International Festival of Women Fly Fishers took place 6–8 December 1996. It was the following year, during the 1997 festival, that Krieger recommended the creation of the International Women Fly Fishers. Her work has inspired several other women’s fly-fishing clubs to be created, including Montana’s Gallatin River Gals and Bozeman Anglers.

Krieger was inducted into the Northern California Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers Hall of Fame in 1994. She is a Federation of Fly Fishers fly-casting certified instructor and continues to coordinate and host fishing trips around the world for eager anglers. Krieger recently directed and produced an educational DVD, Tomorrow’s Fly Fishers, to encourage the newest generation of anglers. She remains active in both the Golden West Women Flyfishers and the International Women Fly Fishers.

Note: this text was written in 2011.