Meet Author Steve Woit
Steve Woit, the author of Mary Orvis Marbury: A Life in Flies, is also the author of Fly Fishing Treasures, the bestselling book covering the world of fly fishers and the collection of antique fly fishing tackle.
Steve writes a regular column for Classic Angling, the world’s leading journal devoted to the history of antique tackle and collecting, where he serves as North American book reviewer. He has also contributed articles on fly fishing history and antique fly tackle collecting to the Yale Anglers’ Journal, AntiqueWeek and Maine Boats and Harbor Magazine as well as to leading online fly fishing publications such as Hatch and MidCurrent.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Yale with a degree in Combined Literature in English and French Literature. He was Publisher of the Yale Daily News Magazine and served as President of the Yale Fishing Club and Captain of the Yale Fishing Team.
He is a member of the Flyfishers’ Club in London and the Anglers’ Club of New York.
Lee Schechter
Contributing author, Mary Orvis Marbury: A Life in Flies
Lee Schechter is a long time avid fly fisherman and tyer. Lee considers himself primarily a saltwater fly fisherman and his passion for fly tying focused on saltwater patterns for many years before he discovered the beauty and historical significance of the early American bass, lake and salmon flies.
Lee Schechter’s inspiration for his work is primarily based on the classic Mary Orvis Marbury bass, lake and salmon flies but include other fancy wet flies of the period from companies such as Thomas Chubb and others. He has actively studied the history of these flies in 18th and 19th century books, catalogs and museum collections and has developed an authentic vintage style of tying using original hooks, tinsels, and materials. Using old traditional techniques when tying the original patterns, he creates examples reminiscent of those found over 100 years ago.
Lee has authored articles on fly tying across the globe including Fly Tyer, Hatches, Fly and Tie Magazine (published separately in Germany and Sweden), and Fly Fishing in Saltwaters. He has also contributed flies to supplement numerous articles in various magazines and his flies were featured as cover photos for issues of Fly Tyer that included his articles in 2013 and 2021.
Lee’s flies have also appeared widely in books including Classic Salmon Fly Patterns by Mike Radencich (2012), The Founding Flies by Mike Valla (2013), Tying Heritage Featherwing Streamers by Sharon Wright (2015), America’s Favorite Flies by John Bryan and Rob Carter (2017) and the Solarez Pro Tyers’ Guide to UV Resin Flies edited by Tony Lolli (2016) and By a Thread: A Retrospective on Women and Tying by Erin Block (2016). Lee was also selected to be a highlighted fly tyer in the limited edition book Fly Tyers of the World – Volume 3 published in 2009 by Steve Thornton (VEM Publishing, UK).
He is currently a Pro-Staff member of the Dr. Slick Fly Tying and Fishing Tool Company, and is involved with the new UV resin product Solarez. He has worked with a number of companies to help develop hooks and fly tying materials, including a collaboration with Gaelic Supreme to replicate a vintage blind-eye Allcock #5907 Kensey hook for tying old gaudy wet flies.
Lee has participated regularly in the leading international fly tying shows and forums and continues to do commission fly work particularly for framed collections.
