Another of our greats has passed

[Smalma]

Just received word that Preston Stingletary has made his final journey to the waters where cutthroat always come willing to our flies.

Preston was one of the group that actively worked tirelessly for our beloved sea-cutthroat. All of us that love those wonderful fish have a great debt to Preston and the others that worked for decades on behave of the cutthroat and those of us the enjoy fishing for them.

I only fished with Preston a few times but we would discuss our cutthroat experiences, hopes and just catch up with recent going ons a number of times every year trading recent reports with the status of the cutthroat and our beloved Stillaguamish river a number of times every year. Often he would be in my thoughts as I chased the cutthroat even more so this fall even prior to hearing he was preparing for his final trip. I was honored to talk with a couple times in the last month reliving past trips, special fish we have caught and our hopes for the resource.

R.I.P. my friend; your passing leaves a void in my angling world.

Curt

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

Met him a few times at the Ellensburg IFF annuals. Also have his series on calibaetis nymphs.

 

[bk paige]

RIP Preston.

 

[Bob Newman]

Sorry to hear that, I was just thinking about him. We would always run into each other at tying shows.

 

[SaltyCutt]

Thats too bad

 

[Matt B]

One time I was camped at Chopaka and was tying flies and struck up a conversation with the white-haired gentleman camped next door. He was telling me of his success with a callibaetis emerger, a bamboo rod and a Sylk line. After just a few sentences, having never seen or heard the man before, I asked him if he was named Preston. I just had a feeling from his published articles and writings on here. He seemed a little surprised and admitted that he was indeed. He shared one or two of his Chopaka emergers with us. They do work. He tied very nice flies among other things. RIP Preston.

 

[Chris Scoones]

@Preston Singletary

He'll be missed.

 

[steve s]

RIP Preston.

 

[wadin' boot]

Uff. Sad to hear it, wondered what had become of him of late....Thoughts are with his family. I think of him (and so many others) whenever I see the glass stories his son does...

 

[bhudda]

RIP Preston Singletary

 

[KerryS]

Sad news.

I met Preston online through the website Fly Anglers Online which he wrote articles for. I was fortunate enough to have had several private message conversations with him centered mostly on cutthroat but also fly fishing in general. I only met Preston in person once but that was in the best place, fly fishing on the Stillaguamish River. RIP Preston. You will be missed.

 

[Nick Clayton]

Never met Preston but definitely sad to read this. RIP

 

[Jmills81]

Weirdly got a friend request from him on FB today. Wonder if he's been hacked, or his estate is doing something there?

 

[Creatch'r]

I used to run into Preston fishing SRC on the stilly from time to time but it’s been at least 10 years since the last time I saw him. Great guy, he was so friendly to me and shared a lot of great knowledge and insight that helped me tremendously at the time. He gave me a crane fly dry he clipped off the end of his tippet one time. RIP Preston and condolences to his friends and family.

 

[miyawaki]

Wow. So sad to hear this. I can't even begin to remember the number of times Preston and I fished together. He was a great fishing companion and was always ready and standing outside is home when I stopped by to pick him up. He was the best driving companion and conversationalist. His stories were unmatched. His knowledge of the flora and fauna surrounding us while fishing was encyclopedic! When he sat down at the tying table to tie a new fly pattern it was only after a great deal of research and observation. You always learned something new from Preston. He is already sorely missed . . .

Leland.