Bob Popovics: Innovative Fly Tyer and Saltwater Advocate
I started my fly fishing journey in the late sixties as a kid, fishing the picturesque streams of North Jersey, when two fanatical friends of mine, Tom Pagliaroli and Steven O’Connor, got me into it. Being a city boy, I fell in love with the likes of the Pequest, the Musconetcong, and my favorite spot, the Clinton Falls on the South Branch. Just the visual sensation of being at these locations was medicine for my soul. Catching a trout was enough to send me into an emotional overdose. Fast forward to 1980, when I was blessed with a science teaching job at Manasquan High School. The rest is a 45-year history as I wrap up my final year.
Moving to Manasquan opened a whole new fly-fishing horizon for me—one that extended into the salt. The sheer size of my quarry now elicited adrenaline rushes that could not be matched by the feisty fifteen- and sixteen-inch salmonids I had been accustomed to catching. Suddenly, I was landing fish ranging from a few pounds to over fifty. The strikes and ensuing fights with the fly rod created a sensation unlike anything I had ever felt. Large amounts of energy surged from the fish into my hand, up my arm, and straight into my core. It was as if I were holding the captured fish by the tail. This was what I called a fly-rodder’s fix—undeniably addicting. That experience kept me returning to the surf or the boat, time after time, cast after cast.
My love for saltwater fly fishing quickly grew. In the early nineties, I met Gene Quigley—my now Shore Catch partner, better known as Geno. This predestined meeting also happened in the suds, but not with a fly rod in hand; we were both lifeguarding in Belmar on the 18th Avenue beach. Since we both loved fly fishing, we decided to turn our passion into a business. That’s when we started Shore Catch Guide Service, branding ourselves as New Jersey’s “premier” inshore saltwater guides and offering guided surf trips.
We had a distinct advantage in promoting ourselves, as this was the dawn of the World Wide Web and the first graphic web browsers, Mosaic and Netscape. With just the push of a button, Shore Catch Guide Service went from an idea to a reality overnight. Naturally, within the close-knit fly-fishing industry, the question arose: “Who are these guys?”
To gain credibility, we approached legendary surfcaster Shell E. Caris and asked if he would consider joining us as a guide. Shell E. was close friends with Bob Popovics—one of the most influential figures in the fly-fishing world—and our fate would be decided based on Bob’s input.
Shell E. returned with the verdict: “Let’s give them a chance.”
In short order, Gene became friends with Bob, and it went exceptionally well. Then I met Bob, and he became a mentor to both of us—not just in fly fishing, but in life. His willingness to share his expertise helped refine our skills and smooth out our rough edges. There are not enough words to express our gratitude for the gracious hand of fellowship Bob extended to us. With his influence in the industry, he could have easily written us off or “blackballed” us. But because of the man he was, he did the opposite. He took us under his wing and played a pivotal role in shaping Shore Catch into what it is today. We are forever indebted to Bob for our success.
That was the kind of person Bob was.
This past January, at the Fly Fishing Show in Edison, Bob was posthumously awarded the 2025 Izaak Walton Award by the American Museum of Fly Fishing. The AMFF stated, “This award was established in 2014 to honor and celebrate individuals who live by the Compleat Angler philosophy. The award recognizes their passion for fly fishing and their involvement in the angling community, inspiring others and promoting leadership for future generations.”
That was Bob, and so much more
Also known as “Pop Fleyes,” Bob was a beloved member of both the fishing community and the community at large. He touched countless lives with his love and kindness, never asking for anything in return. He humbly served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps and was inducted into the North American Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 1998, followed by the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum Hall of Fame in 2014. It would be no surprise if he is posthumously inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame as well.
At the award banquet in Edison, eight of his closest friends—Lance Erwin (who accepted the award on Bob’s behalf), Andy Mill (the emcee), Chuck Furimsky, Paul Dixon, Joe Carey, Tom Lynch, Ed Jaworowski, and Jason Taylor—each shared their most cherished stories about Bob. Ed Jaworowski summed it up best: “Anyone who has ever had contact with Bob Popovics, regardless of how brief or extensive, cannot help but be affected by that contact.”
Bob had a passion for creation. I remember fishing with him and listening as he described the vision for a new “fleye” design before ever sitting at the vise to create it. Lefty Kreh once hailed Bob as “the greatest fly tier of all time.” Ross Purnell, editor of Fly Fisherman magazine, described Bob as “the most inspirational and innovative saltwater fly tier of all time.”
For those who fly fish—whether in freshwater or saltwater—the fly itself is at the heart of the sport. Bob’s designs were nothing short of artistry. Great flies not only mimic bait in form but in movement as well, and Bob did it better than anyone.
Saltwater fly fishing in the Northeast has a fascinating history dating back to the 1870s. Over the years, pioneers such as Zane Grey, Tom Loving, Joe Brooks, Lee Wulff, Holly Hollenbeck, Lefty Kreh, and Stu Apte helped shape the sport. In 1962, Cap Colvin and Fred Schrier established one of the first interest groups at the Jersey Shore, leading to the formation of the Saltwater Flyrodders of America.
With the likes of men like Cap Colvin, Lefty Kreh, Mark Sosin, Frank Woolner, Vin Sporano, Lou Rhodia, Butch Colvin, and Eddie Morrison, a new era had emerged with new techniques and strategies for catching fish along our New Jersey beaches. This initial attempt to establish the sport in our area carried a punch that lasted into the early 1970s, but by the latter part of the decade, the flame had diminished.
By the mid-1980s, saltwater fly fishing was experiencing a resurgence along the Jersey Shore, thanks to Bob Popovics. He gathered an elite group of fly fishers—including Don Wall, Doc Fort, Fred Schrier, Tom Fote, Eddie Morrison, Lance Erwin, Ed Jaworowski, Hank Brandenburg, Joe Patton, Dick Dennis, Bill Hoblitzell, Marie DeSaules, and Joe Cavanaugh—to reignite the passion for the sport. This led to the founding of New Jersey’s largest saltwater fly fishing club, the Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders, based out of Seaside Park.
Bob’s home in Seaside Park became the heart of this movement. In January 1985, he set up a card table, invited friends over to tie flies. His gracious wife, Alexis, whipped up brownies and coffee for the guests and the tying began. Week after week, the gathering grew, with people crowding into every available space—even the bathroom—to catch a glimpse of the action every Tuesday night.
In February 1992, with attendance increasing in his undersized house, Bob announced that the meetings would move to a larger space. The Tri-Boro First Aid Building in Seaside Park became the new home of the Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders.
The club’s philosophy is what has made the Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders so unique and inviting. Bob said, “It’s simple. If you want to do it with a fly rod, the club will teach you all you need to know. There are no competitions, no awards, no political agendas, just open communication, teaching, and reaching out to any man, woman, or child that wants to get involved in the sport. In essence, the club offers what is necessary to become a better fly fisher”.
Bob was a giant in both stature and heart. He also had a love and passion for roses which he proudly displayed at his restaurant, the Shady Rest in Bayville that he bought in 1978. Each spring and summer, these roses were another masterpiece he gladly shared with the world. My wife Riley and I would always try to get there at the peak of the bloom. It was breathtaking to see.
From his roses to his fleyes, he could have kept his secrets to himself, but that wasn’t Bob. Instead, he gave freely, ensuring his knowledge and legacy would endure. His two books, Pop Fleyes: Bob Popovics’s Approach to Saltwater Fly Design (2000) and Fleye Design: Techniques, Insights, Patterns (2016) along with Jay Nichols, remain essential reading. His “fleye” tying creations, big bunker fleye, epoxy surf candy the original Pop Fleye, Deep Candy, Stick Candy, Siliclone Pop Lips, Tuffleye, Bob’s Banger, Cotton Candy, Jiggy, Ultra Shrimp, Shady Lady Squid, Bulkhead Deceiver, Spread Fleye, Hollow Fleye, and Beast Fleye are just a few now replicated by other tiers and used around the world.
Thank you, my friend, for all you have done. You were blessed to be a blessing. We love you, we miss you, and we will carry on your legacy with everyone we meet.
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Capt Jim Freda is owner of Shore Catch Sportfishing saling out of Manasquan Inlet, NJ. He has been fly fishing these inshore and offshore waters for over 40 years.
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