Bernard Victor Kreh was born in Frederick in 1925 where his family lived on North Bentz Street

His father died when he was eight; as the eldest of three siblings Lefty assumed the daunting responsibility of supporting his family

Lefty fished, hunted, and trapped on the Monocacy River to help feed and support his family

• Caught catfish using mussels found in the Monocacy for bait, selling the fish to a business on East street

• Sold muskrat furs and hunted squirrels and ducks for table fare

He graduated from Frederick High School, and was recognized in 2018 as a Frederick High School Distinguished Alumni

An artillery spotter in the World War II Battle of the Bulge, Lefty was one of only a few in his unit to survive that extremely hazardous front-line duty

His hair fell out after he wore a tight-knit cap under a steel helmet in below zero weather and his scalp froze

Post-war he worked in the biological warfare labs at Fort Detrick, gathering anthrax for the scientists

Following an accidental exposure, he was kept alone for a month in a small glass room for treatment - he would discover later that scientists had extracted some of his blood to create a strain of anthrax, which they named BVK-1, using his initials

The job provided him time to pursue his passions for fishing and hunting and to continue to help feed his family

These humble beginnings led him into a career as an outdoor writer, starting with the Frederick News Post, who still reprints his columns to this day

In the 1950’s, dissatisfied with existing streamers, he designed the world famous “Lefty’s Deceiver”

"I'm going to design a fly that won't foul on the cast! It will have a fish shape, but can be made in many lengths. You can vary the color combinations; it will also swim well but when lifted for the back cast, it will be sleek and have little air-resistance. I only hoped it would work and didn't consider it might become a part of fly-fishing history.” -Lefty Kreh

The Deceiver is arguably the best known saltwater fly pattern in the world and in 1991 the U.S. Postal Service honored Kreh’s creation with a postage stamp

Lefty is world-renowned and a member of three fishing halls of fame, and has fished with such famous figures as

• Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush

• Cuban leader Fidel Castro

• Writer Ernest Hemingway

• Golfer Jack Nicklaus and baseball great Ted Williams

• News broadcaster Tom Brokaw, actor Michael Keaton, and rock singer Huey Lewis

Lefty cast his line on every continent but Antarctica and caught 126 species of fish

Revered by anglers all over the globe, Lefty probably recruited more sportsmen to the sport of fly fishing than any one person in history

Through his writing of 32 books, authoring of thousands of articles, television appearances, and in person teaching, he has influenced people from all walks of life throughout the world

He was instrumental in bridging the gap between generations and gender by bringing more affordable, practical, and accessible tackle to market and through his teaching of how to cast and fish

He turned fly fishing from an elitist sport into an inviting sport for everyone

Lefty was one of the original founders of the local Frederick based, Potomac Valley Fly Fishers Club, among many other organizations