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Sad News, Doug Rose Has Died.

9K views 65 replies 62 participants last post by  Bryce Comstock 
#1 ·
I am deeply sorry to have to share with you that our great champion of wild fish conservation and the fly fishing life, Doug Rose, has died after a brief battle with cancer.
Fair winds to a great heart and good friend.
 
#55 ·
I am going to hit the vise today and tie up some Keta Rose patterns in honor of our friend Doug. It should be in all of our saltwater boxes this Spring. A very simple but effective pattern. I can hear his laugh now.
Natural material Terrestrial plant Grass Grass family Flowering plant
Azure Organism Rectangle Electric blue Fashion accessory
 
#58 ·
It is with sadness to read this thread since he had so much more to offer. He was truly a humble gentleman who will be missed greatly by the fly fishing community, his family, and friends. His writing and great books will be his legacy. I was honored to have meet him a couple of times last year and he was one of those special individuals that you would have liked to know better.

Roger
 
#59 ·
Doug Rose was a very talented writer and I will always enjoy going back to his books to explore the OP again and again. I fished with Doug for winter steelhead a few years ago and enjoyed the way he worked to find unknown paths and trails into hidden holding water. It was about quality of experience with Doug, not quantity of hooked fish. I will really miss his great blog and having him out there to protect our fisheries. My condolences to his family.
 
#61 ·
Such sad news and I hope Doug's close friends have the opportunity to read the kind words from the members of wff.com

I regret not fishing with him more, but have great memories of the seminar I attended with Doug last spring. Doug was a great example to others and he cared about the community and fit right on on the Peninsula...A reminder of why I enjoy fly fishing so much.
 
#62 ·
I am truly saddened to hear this day of Doug's passing. Though I had only met and spoken with him a few times it is with fondness that I remember those, and the way he made me feel as though I was welcome to do so. It is also with regret that I allowed work to get in the way of fishing with him during his "Hot Dog Fridays". May the future allow me the chance to just that in the Great Beyond.
 
#64 ·
I am still trying to come to grips with Doug's passing.

He was, simply, one of the great guys. He was also a fantastic angler who explored the waters of the Olympic Peninsula with an energy and thoughtfulness that we all recognized when reading his words -- or sharing a conversation.
I first met Doug years ago, when he gave a talk and slideshow at a South Sound Fly Fishers meeting in Olympia, WA. HIs overview of the Peninsula's waters was amazing, and his love for them -- and the fish -- gave the presentation a glow. We talked fishing and writing afterwards, and he was a friend from that day on.

Doug gave me a lot of encouragement when I was writing my book, and he was gracious enough to write a kind review for his blog. Doug generously invited me to present a program during last year's Cutts and Chum seminar, and I loved contributing to his yearly Christmas Newsletter.

A visit to www.dougroseflyfishing.com is a great way to get to know Doug's thoughtful writing and view of our world. All of his books are worth far more than the money you will spend to bring them home.

Last fall, Doug came to Joe Uhlman's home in Olympia for an informal gathering of sea-run cutt addicts. We talked fishing, food and flies well into the night, and Doug got out of bed before dawn to say farewell as I left to fish an early morning tide.
As I left, I though how lucky I was to have so many good friends in the flyfishing world. I thought we had years and years to enjoy our friendship.

There is a hole in my heart right now.
 
#66 ·
I still can't believe he has passed. Doug was the mentor I needed to fully understand this unspoken passion for fishing with a fly in Washington. Everything about the way he approached the sport was right. He gave fishermen a connection to their heritage, a sense of mysticism on the water, and the inspiration to protect treasured resources. Most importantly though he was a gracious man with integrity, had an amazing respect for his craft, and was always willing to lend a fly, a hand, or a joke to any passing person. There honestly was no one else like him.
 
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