In Memorium: William Cairns (1932 - 2013)

A short while ago I received very sad news. A fly fisherman - one of the foremost amongst us - has passed. I first met Bill Cairns over a decade ago when I went to work for the Orvis company in Manchester, Vermont. At the time, Bill was still involved with the company; as the founding director of the Orvis fly fishing school, he was occasionally called upon to give casting demonstrations, lectures, or individual lessons long after his official tenure at the school had ended. To this day, I've never met anyone better able to articulate the physics of casting, identify the weaknesses of a student's cast, or demonstrate the principles he so easily explained. Bill was involved with the fly fishing industry throughout much of his life; at various times he was employed by the H.L. Leonard company, Thomas and Thomas and Orvis, and he served on the board of governors of the Federation of Fly Fishers. Bill Cairns was one of the finest teachers I have ever had the good fortune of meeting; being his student was a privilege. Perhaps more to the point, Bill was a fine man and a good friend. He will be missed.  

A memorial service for Bill will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday the 19th of October, at Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester, Vermont. The official obituary can be found here. 

Memorial services for Bill will be held Saturday October 19, 2013 at 11am at Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bennington/obituary.aspx?n=william-cairns&pid=167324074#fbLoggedOut

Memorial services for Bill will be held Saturday October 19, 2013 at 11am at Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bennington/obituary.aspx?n=william-cairns&pid=167324074#fbLoggedOut

Memorial services for Bill will be held Saturday October 19, 2013 at 11am at Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bennington/obituary.aspx?n=william-cairns&pid=167324074#fbLoggedOut

Memorial services for Bill will be held Saturday October 19, 2013 at 11am at Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bennington/obituary.aspx?n=william-cairns&pid=167324074#fbLoggedOut

Memorial services for Bill will be held Saturday October 19, 2013 at 11am at Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bennington/obituary.aspx?n=william-cairns&pid=167324074#fbLoggedOut

 

From left to right: Bill Cairns, Shawn Brillon, Thomas Ames

That's Bill on the cover ... this photo was often reversed in Orvis' catalogs, showing a left-handed Bill Cairns casting right handed.