Matt Rosenthal
Signature Tyer
Like so many serious anglers, Matt Rosenthal was genetically programmed to fish. From an early age he had a powerful draw to water that remains intact and has only grown stronger over the past 50 plus years. From his early childhood family vacations spent in Quebec chasing bass and perch through his current obsessions with trout, bass, and carp, Matt has kept one eye on the water. He is unable to pass a stream without a quick look. Creeks must be crossed, pond edges walked, lakes boated. It goes without saying, all waters must be fished!
A biologist by education, industrial hygienist by early occupation, fly shop owner (three actually), husband, father, and angler. He has spent nearly 40 years with a fly rod close to hand and a tying vise within reach. He started the Waynesville Fly Shop in Waynesville, North Carolina, the Beaver Creek Fly Shop in Hagerstown, Maryland, and the Bozeman Family Fly Shop in Bozeman, Montana, which was his most recent shop. Although Matt and his family have recently completed a move from Montana to Pennsylvania, another fly shop is not in the plans….
Matt’s efforts as a shop owner always focused on the communities which he was a part of and more specifically the kids. Over the years he has helped teach fly fishing and fly tying to folks in the Girls and Boys Scouts of America, Brotherhood of the Junglecock, YMCA, Trout Unlimited, Bozeman’s Cancer Support Community, Project Healing Waters, Warriors and Quiet Waters, Montana Outdoor Science School, homeschooled kids, and of course his customers. Matt started a program he called Fish For The Future which would take donated equipment as well as rods and reels he found at yard sales, fix them up and give them to kids who needed equipment. This was always Matt’s favorite program and over the years he provided many set ups to kids free of charge. Although he dreamed of making the program National, time and finance were always limiting so he kept it local to his fly shops. This program successfully pulled equipment from dusty corners and put them in the hands of kids and back out on the water. Of course, thousands of flies were donated along the way because it is hard for a kid to fly fish without a fly!
Matt currently lives on a small farm with his wife and two daughters, two dogs, a cat, three horses, chickens, and beehives. Excellent fishing is only minutes away and he has lots of new water to explore. He is proud to be a new signature fly tier for Umpqua and acknowledges the excellent tiers who laid the foundation for his generation of tiers. Several years ago, while he was helping his oldest daughter tie a fly, he suggested the next material they tie on the hook be something fish will really like. She jumped up from her chair, ran to the kitchen and returned with a jolly rancher candy, and thus, the Jolly Rancher Fly was born. Matt still has the prototype Jolly Rancher Fly in his collection. Although Umpqua has been somewhat hesitant to tie the Jolly Rancher Fly commercially, Matt and his daughter remain hopeful.
Like so many serious anglers, Matt Rosenthal was genetically programmed to fish. From an early age he had a powerful draw to water that remains intact and has only grown stronger over the past 50 plus years. From his early childhood family vacations spent in Quebec chasing bass and perch through his current obsessions with trout, bass, and carp, Matt has kept one eye on the water. He is unable to pass a stream without a quick look. Creeks must be crossed, pond edges walked, lakes boated. It goes without saying, all waters must be fished!
A biologist by education, industrial hygienist by early occupation, fly shop owner (three actually), husband, father, and angler. He has spent nearly 40 years with a fly rod close to hand and a tying vise within reach. He started the Waynesville Fly Shop in Waynesville, North Carolina, the Beaver Creek Fly Shop in Hagerstown, Maryland, and the Bozeman Family Fly Shop in Bozeman, Montana, which was his most recent shop. Although Matt and his family have recently completed a move from Montana to Pennsylvania, another fly shop is not in the plans….
Matt’s efforts as a shop owner always focused on the communities which he was a part of and more specifically the kids. Over the years he has helped teach fly fishing and fly tying to folks in the Girls and Boys Scouts of America, Brotherhood of the Junglecock, YMCA, Trout Unlimited, Bozeman’s Cancer Support Community, Project Healing Waters, Warriors and Quiet Waters, Montana Outdoor Science School, homeschooled kids, and of course his customers. Matt started a program he called Fish For The Future which would take donated equipment as well as rods and reels he found at yard sales, fix them up and give them to kids who needed equipment. This was always Matt’s favorite program and over the years he provided many set ups to kids free of charge. Although he dreamed of making the program National, time and finance were always limiting so he kept it local to his fly shops. This program successfully pulled equipment from dusty corners and put them in the hands of kids and back out on the water. Of course, thousands of flies were donated along the way because it is hard for a kid to fly fish without a fly!
Matt currently lives on a small farm with his wife and two daughters, two dogs, a cat, three horses, chickens, and beehives. Excellent fishing is only minutes away and he has lots of new water to explore. He is proud to be a new signature fly tier for Umpqua and acknowledges the excellent tiers who laid the foundation for his generation of tiers. Several years ago, while he was helping his oldest daughter tie a fly, he suggested the next material they tie on the hook be something fish will really like. She jumped up from her chair, ran to the kitchen and returned with a jolly rancher candy, and thus, the Jolly Rancher Fly was born. Matt still has the prototype Jolly Rancher Fly in his collection. Although Umpqua has been somewhat hesitant to tie the Jolly Rancher Fly commercially, Matt and his daughter remain hopeful.