Dave Whitlock Obituary, Oklahoma, FLY Fishing Icon Has Died

Dave Whitlock Obituary, Death – Dave Whitlock, FLY Fishing and Ozarks fly fishing community icon has passed away on Thursday, November 24, 2022. Dave was the cofounder of Dave & Emily Whitlock Fly Fishing. According to Emily who announced the death news on Facebook, the post reads – It hurts me deeply to have to break the news to you that Dave passed away due to a massive stroke last night. When it struck, he was working on his boat next to our casting pond. He was taken to Tulsa for medical treatment after the storm. But he broke the tippit, and he drifted gently back to the deep water, the wilderness that he cherished and that he spent a lifetime exploring, writing, and painting about.

I was able to witness firsthand the enormous impact that he had on our sport thanks to the thirty wonderful years that we spent together. When Fly Fisherman Magazine recently named him as one of the four greats that comprise the Mt. Rushmore of fly fishing, he felt like he had received the highest honor. However, I believe that he left an even more significant impression on the people who knew him and who had the opportunity to share a river with him. It didn’t matter whether it was the shimmering leap of a trout, the heavy pull of a largemouth, or the feisty dance of a bluegill—these were things that he dearly loved, things that made his heart race, and things that brought out his big smile every time.

I still have a hard time imagining my life without him. Throughout all of these years, we have participated in every activity together. However, if there is one thing that I have taken away from Dave, among the many things that I have learned from him, it is to approach each day with an attitude of openness and curiosity, to go out there, and to keep casting forward. The arms of my children are currently around me, and I will reach out to them as soon as I can. In the future, we are going to get together for a memorial service in honor of Dave, but we don’t know when that will be just yet. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has played such an important role in our lives.

Dave Whitlock Obituary, Death – Dave Whitlock, FLY Fishing and Ozarks fly fishing community icon has passed away on Thursday, November 24, 2022. Dave was the cofounder of Dave & Emily Whitlock Fly Fishing. According to Emily who announced the death news on Facebook, the post reads – It hurts me deeply to have to…