The fly fishing industry is chock full of colorful and passionate personalities. This probably comes as little surprise, as fly anglers tend to be a colorful and passionate lot. It's also a particularly friendly and close-knit community. But, like any close-knit group filled with impassioned, zealous individuals, there's inevitably a bit of friction. Spend enough time in the industry and you'll discover that there's virtually no one that doesn't have at least few critics or detractors. Except, perhaps, for Tom Rosenbauer. Traverse the industry far and wide and you'll be hard pressed to find a single angler with a bad thing to say about Rosenbauer, an extremely talented and well-known angler, author, instructor and innovator who also happens to be one of the more affable, honest and direct individuals you're likely to meet.

And so, for folks that know Tom and countless others that don't but are well-versed in Tom's writings and teachings, it will come as little surprise to learn that Tom is slated to be honored with the American Museum of Fly Fishing's (AMFF) Izaak Walton Award for 2019.

Most anglers know Tom thanks to his more than 10 books on fly fishing—including The Orvis Fly-Tying Guide, which won a 2001 National Outdoor Book Award—and through his now 30-year tenure at Orvis where he's worn a myriad of different hats, including copywriter, public relations director, fishing school instructor, merchandise manager, catalog director, editor of The Orvis News and his current post as Orvis Rod and Tackle's marketing director.

Tom is also a regular fixture on Orvis' popular fly fishing podcast and hosted the TV series The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing (which is now available for free viewing).

According to a release by AMFF, thanks to his "extraordinary knowledge, accomplishments, and innovations in the sport of fly fishing and his dedication to sharing his skills through his podcast, as a writer, and teacher on the water, Tom is truly a worthy honoree for the 2019 Izaak Walton Award from the American Museum of Fly Fishing."

Rosenbauer will be honored on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 with a reception and dinner at the Anglers Club in New York City. If you'd like to be there help congratulate Tom, you can purchase tickets here. Proceeds will benefit the AMFF.