American Angler - History

History

American Angler began as Fly Tyer, an in-house publication of the Dick Surette Fly Fishing Shop in North Conway, New Hampshire. The first issue was published in 1978. During the 1980s, following declining interest in fly fishing, Fly Tyer was sold and underwent several name changes. It became American Fly Tyer, then American Angler & Fly Tyer, and finally American Angler. In 1990, under more successful business management, the magazine increased to a bimonthly (six issues a year) printing schedule.

"Why American Angler? Dick Stewart explained that he wanted a name that would stand out from the other fly-fishing periodicals. More important, the surveys he conducted told him that the magazine’s readers wanted practical information that they could use on their home waters. Stewart chose a title that reflected a commitment to the average American fly fisher."

In 1992, American Angler changed hands and became the flagship publication of Abenaki Publishers, which moved the magazine to Bennington, Vermont. The year 1992 also saw the debut of Robert Redford's A River Runs Through It, with a corresponding boom in national attention paid to fly fishing. In 1995, then-editor Art Scheck re-launched Fly Tyer and moved with it, while Dave Klausmeyer (current editor of Fly Tyer) joined as an associate editor.

By 1999, Phil Monahan had taken over as editor of American Angler and the magazine changed hands once again, to become a part of the Morris Group.

"In a memorial piece written for Fly Tyer, Dick Stewart described Dick Surette, the founding publisher, as 'democratic to a fault, publishing articles submitted by professional and amateur alike.' That approach set the tone. While American Angler has published the work of the sport’s best-known writers, it has always been open to new voices and new ideas."