www.natgreeneflyfishers.org                                               Email:  info@natgreeneflyfishers.org

2008 Annual Banquet

Gary Borger holds a BS (1966), and an MS (1968) from Penn State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1971). He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Wisconsin Campus in Wausau where he taught for 28 years. During his career he offered Botany, Zoology lab, Natural History Photography, Writing in the Sciences, Dendrology, Ecology, Taxonomy, and other topics. He was presented with the Teacher of the Year Award on two different occasions. His achievements have been recognized in “Who’s Who in the Midwest,” “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering,” “Men of Achievement,” the “Dictionary of International Biography,” “Who’s Who Among America’s Teacher’s,” “Outstanding People of the 20th Century,” and “Outstanding People of the Millenium.”

He has been a fly fisher since 1955, and since 1972 has taught classes and lectured internationally on all aspects of fly fishing for trout and salmon. A free-lance writer and photographer and a former active member of the Outdoor Writer’s Association of America, Gary is also Midwest Field Editor for Fly Fisherman magazine, Editor at Large for the Virtual Fly Shop, and Fly Fishing Columnist for Midwest fly Fisher. He has written five best-selling books on fly fishing: “Nymphing,” “Naturals,” “ The Borger Color System,” “Designing Trout Flies,” and “Presentation.” Gary pioneered fly fishing video instruction with his release of “Nymphing” in 1982. Since then he has appeared in four videos for the 3M Company; and in cooperation with the Federation of Fly Fishers, produced the environmental video “Where The Trout Are.” His video production company has produced an additional 21, internationally acclaimed videos in the “Skills of Fly Fishing Series.” This production work has earned him a listing in “Who’s Who in Entertainment.” Gary was also a consultant on Robert Redford ’s movie “A River Runs Through It.” With his award-winning CD/cassette tape, “My Madison,” he pioneered fly fishing, nature-music audios. In addition, Gary is a the designer of the Weinbrenner Ultimate Wading Shoe, the Gary Borger Fly Vest, the Gary Borger Signature Fly Lines,, and many other innovative angling products and unique fly designs. He is a founding board member of the River Alliance of Wisconsin, a member of the Board of Governors of the Federation of Fly Fisher’s fly casting instructor certification program, a member of The Order of the Jungle Cock, Trout Unlimited, United Fly Tyers, the Federation of Fly Fishers, the American Museum of Fly Fishing, the Catskill Fly Fishing Center, and other conservation organizations. He is a recipient of the Ross Allen Merigold Complete Angler Memorial Award, the Charles K. Fox Rising Trout Award, the Joan and Lee Wullf Conservation award, and is internationally recognized for his conservation efforts; in recognition of this work he received the first Lew Jewett Memorial Life Membership in the Federation of Fly Fishers in 1979. Gary is currently Executive Vice President of Targus Fly and Feather, Inc.