Sometimes, it is only after a death that we  get a glimpse of who someone was, and how much of an impact they had on those who knew and loved them. This is especially true for someone we’ve only heard of, or have read of,  or by their own written words.

In the tiny world of fly fishing there are a number of minor celebrities – people known for their casting or fishing skills; known for their designs; or known for their guiding abilities; and towering over them are those whose impact covers all those and more.

One such person was Cathy Beck.

Cathy was an East Coast fly fishing guide and teacher who died February 7th 2024 while leading a guided trip to Argentina. She was 71.

I had heard of Cathy for years. She had written two books on fly fishing (the first along with her husband) – I have both of them. Her love of the sport and her desire to share came through in both.

I never saw a photo of her in which she wasn’t smiling.

She and her husband Barry were called by some the ‘first couple of fly fishing’ – a term she refused being applied to them; she said that belonged to Lee and Joan Wulff (with which I completely agree).

Now Barry has finally been able to write a tribute to his beloved Cathy. It is a love story as much, if not much more, as a fishing story.

You can read Barry’s remembrance here.