R.M. Pete Parker

Pete was born August 3, 1934, in Monongahela, PA, to Agnes and Ralph Parker. From the very beginning Pete was always looking for adventure, and would often run off on his own to find it.

He started fly fishing at 5 yrs old. His first fish in 1939 was a California Golden Trout. Pete learned to tie flies in 1946 from his dad.

Pete was an excellent athlete, as well as always being top of his class. Pete moved to California as a young boy and attended St. Catherine’s Military Academy and later Riverside Polytechnic High School where he graduated in 1952. Pete proudly served in the Marines from 1952-56. Later residences included New York and Colorado.

Pete married the love of his life, Barbara Duquette on Halloween, 1953. Barbara predeceased him in 2005. Pete and Barbara had three children, Ralph M Parker III, Patricia (McClure) and Pamela (Parker-Martin) and 7 grandchildren (Morgan, Adam, Jackson, Genna, Emily, Sarah, and Margo).

While living in New York Pete began fly fishing for Blues and Striped Bass off Long Island. In 1976 he, and his family, moved west to Colorado. There Pete co-founded the Evergreen Chapter for Trout Unlimited. Pete began giving fly tying demonstrations at local events and in 1989 was asked to appear as a featured tier at International Sportsmen's Expos.

1991 he was asked to assume duties as the 'Director' of the Fly Tying Video Theater for all International Sportsmen's Shows. Pete had been blending the talents of approximately 150 fly tiers each season ever since. You knew you had "made it" in the shows when Pete gave you a personalized, and sometimes, very colorful, introduction.

Pete fished all over the United States, Canada, Alaska, BC, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, P

anama, San Salvador, Mexico, plus seven long range blue water trips off Baja, Mexico and Midway Atoll in mid Pacific. He had four International Game Fish Association world records on the fly, with his favorite bein

g the Giant Trevali caught at Midway.

Pete was often found swimming with tiger sharks, diving into snake and crocodile infested waters, or sitting with bears for a morning coffee. Though he was known to accidentally start the odd fire here and there, At the age of 73, Pete worked as an Alaskan fishing guide for the Goodnews River Lodge.

His flies have been featured in many books such as Salt Water Flies 700 of the Best; Blue Water Fly-fishing; Supernaturals; Patterns of the Masters (past 3 issues); Secrets of the Salt Water Fly; Anglers Profiles. Recent magazines to feature Pete's flies have been Fly fisherman; Fly Tier; Gray's Sporting Journal; Calif, Outdoors; Fly Fishing in Salt Waters; and Southwest Fly-fishing.

Although Pete was known to unusual patterns (i.e.; the "literal" blue winged olive, a Christmas tree, mice, and his world famous helicopter out of deer hair), many of his more conventional flies have been placed in the American Museum of Fly Fishing, Vermont; and the National FFF Museum, Livingston, MT.

Lefty Kreh once stared at Pete’s flies for a moment, looked up and said: "We’re all nuts". Who else but Pete would tie a helicopter fly with spun deer hair, complete with rotating blades and pontoons.

Throughout Pete's life he was a gifted salesman, a hilarious practical joker, a leader, a loving and tough father, a deeply devoted husband and romantic, an animal lover, a computer whiz, a skilled mechanic, a craftsman, a woodworker, a potter, a singer, a deep sea fisher, a scuba instructor, a fishing guide, an entertainer, a loyal friend, a Master fly tyer, and a somewhat decent caster. He was a champion ballroom dancer, a skilled unicyclist, and in recent years had begun teaching jazz piano. Pete truly was a Super Hero, and could, and did, do everything.

One of his closest lifelong friends, Tony Morello, had this to say: "a John Wayne with the heart of a poet, a member of society of Mensa and a "dirt biker", a "boxing Marine" and a "potter". The first one to come to your (my) defense, fiercely loyal and Mr. Macho with a sensitive soul.

Now it is as if a light some where deep inside of me has gone out, my Best Friend Pete is gone but I know that I am, and have been, the better for knowing him."

Pete is now off on his Greatest Adventure, embarking on his own on January 12, 2011. He was 76.