Bernard Victor Kreh, also known as Lefty Kreh, was born in 1925 in Frederick, Maryland. After returning home from serving in the US Army in the 69th Infantry Division during World War II, Lefty found employment at Fort Dietrich. During that time, Lefty began to become known in local fishing circles. Lefty was introduced to fly fishing by outdoor writer Joe Brooks who took him fishing on the Potomack River one day in 1947. Afterward, Lefty bought himself a fly rod and reel, and soon became a fly casting expert.
Kreh’s casting abilities got him invited to exhibitions where he gave casting demos that included casting an entire fly line with just his hand, and being able to knock a cigarette out of a woman’s mouth from 80 feet away.
By the mid 1950’s, Kreh turned his exhibition casting demos into educational lessons, educating fellow fly fisherman to fly fish, cast, and tie flies. Kreh’s outgoing personality made him an entertaining person to watch at these exhibitions
Lefty was a prolific outdoor writer, he wrote articles for outdoor publications as well as over 30 books over the last 60 years. His writing took him around the world hunting for new and exotic fishing adventures to write about. In the late 1950’s Lefty created one of the most renowned flies which bears his name: “Lefty’s Deceiver”.
Lefty’s Principles of Longer Flycasting
Principle number 1: The longer you move a rod through an arc, the more it helps you make the cast.
“…I urge casters to move the rod well behind the body on the backcast… on a very long cast your rod and arm should be straight behind you.”
Principle number 2: You must get the line end moving before you can make a back or forward cast. And on the backcast, the end of the line must be lifted from the water before making the cast.
Principle number 3: The fly is going to go in the direction that you accelerate, then stop, the rod tip at the end of the cast.
Principle number 4: The size of the line loop during the cast is determined by how fast and how far the rod tip is moved (combined with a quick stop) at the end of the cast.
“If you sweep the rod forward and accelerate quickly at the end of your cast, so that the tip moves in a four foot arc, you will throw a four-foot-high loop”
Principle number 5: You cannot move your rod hand well behind the body if you begin the cast with the thumb positioned on the top of the rod. You must grip the rod in the normal manner and then rotate your thumb about forty-five degrees away from the body.
https://gardenandgun.com/feature/southern-master-the-legend-of-lefty/