Theodore Gordon (September 18, 1854 – May 1, 1915) was an American writer who fished the
Catskill region of
New York State in the late 19th century through the early 20th century. Though he never published a book, Gordon is often called the "father of the American school of
dry fly fishing".
[Sparse Grey Hackle (alias for Alfred W. Miller), "The Quest for Theodore Gordon." in ''Fishless Days, Angling Nights'', The Globe Peqot Press: 1949, Quote: Gordon, "was in fact, the father of dry-fly angling in America." ] He wrote numerous articles for the ''
Fishing Gazette'' from 1890 and published works in ''
Forest and Stream
''Forest and Stream'' was a magazine featuring hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities in the United States. The journal was founded in August 1873 by Charles Hallock. At the time of its 1930 cancellation it was the ninth oldest magazine s ...
'' from 1903, sometimes under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
''Badger Hackle''.
Biography
Theodore Gordon was born in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
, Pennsylvania on September 18, 1854.
Gordon had imported English fly-fishing tackle and flies. He altered the English flies to precisely match the insects hatching in the
Neversink and
Beaverkill rivers, and
Willowemoc Creek. Later he made his own flies from scratch.
Gordon taught himself to
tie flies by studying ''The American Angler's Book (1864)'' by Thaddeus Norris. He also read British fly fishing literature of the time and corresponded with notable British fly anglers
Frederic M. Halford and
G. E. M. Skues to perfect his fly tying skills.
Known as a consumptive
hermit
A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...
, Gordon lived his final years and died on May 1, 1915 in the Anson Knight house in Bradley, New York.
[ This is one of the residences that had to be abandoned during the development of the Neversink reservoir, which flooded several former villages. It was developed to provide a water supply for New York City.][John McDonald (ed) ''The Complete Fly Fisherman'' New York: Scribners, 1947]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Theodore
Gordon,Theodore
Gordon,Theodore
Angling writers
Burials at New York Marble Cemetery
People from Pittsburgh