Bob Quigley
Photo: Val Atkinson
“Bob’s passion for fly tying and fishing was life-long and infectious. Bob was always the first person to challenge conventional wisdom, experiment with uncertain techniques or patterns and share his extensive knowledge with anyone interested. If you polled the active fly fishers and tiers in southern Oregon chances are almost all of them will have a Bob Quigley story.
Bob’s impact on fly fishing simply cannot be overstated. Frankly, if you’ve fly fished in the last 30 years the odds are likely that you also owe a debt of gratitude to Bob Quigley. Ever fished a cripple or a hackle stacker? How about an egg-sucking…anything? Yes, all of these creations originally came off of Bob’s vise. A lot of us don’t know the scope of Bob’s innovations because he so freely shared everything with the fly fishing community and wasn’t concerned with taking credit.
Bob inadvertently taught most West Coast anglers how to catch spring creek fish. His tenure on California’s Fall River and Hat Creek gave birth to patterns like the Quigley Cripple, Loopwing Paradun and Hackle Stacker. These contributions alone ensure Bob’s place in American fly fishing royalty, though Bob was never one to sit back and rely on past accomplishments. He had an inquisitive nature that kept him continually experimenting and innovating. Even up until his last moments Bob was still designing his next fly pattern and plotting the use of a tying material to be used in a new way.” -Fly Water Travel