LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Francis Betters, well-known
author, fly fisherman and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Francis Betters of Jay, New York, died on September 6, 2009,
at the age of 78; a celebration of his life was held on October 3, 2009,
on the banks of the Ausable, the river that formed his life; and
WHEREAS, Born in Wilmington, New York, on April 30, 1931, Francis
Betters was adopted by Margaret and Victor Betters, a prominent North
Country hunter and fisherman; his father gave him a first-rate education
in fishing and observing the natural world; and
WHEREAS, Francis Betters distinguished himself in his profession as a
fly fisherman, known for his lifelong intimacy with the rivers of the
Adirondack Mountains, as well as a longtime owner of the Adirondack
Sports Shop in Wilmington, New York; and
WHEREAS, For almost five decades, Francis Betters went to his shop
every day and built fly rods, made trout flies, wrote Adirondack-infused
books and articles, and provided customers with instruction, fishing
guides, advice and encouragement; and
WHEREAS, Francis Betters was one of the most innovative fly-tiers in
the country; in the fly-tying world, he was best known for creating the
Ausable Wulff and the Haystack series; those flies were later named
among the top 10 trout flies of all time by FIELD AND STREAM magazine;
and
WHEREAS, Francis Betters would tie between 25,000 and 30,000 flies a
year; he tied between 150 and 200 a day during the season, and could tie
a complicated Ausable Wulff in three minutes; and
WHEREAS, A member of Fly Fishing Hall of Fame and the New York State
Outdoorsman Hall of Fame, Francis Betters wrote numerous Adirondack
fishing books, including the AUSABLE RIVER GUIDE; he was also a newspa-
per fishing columnist for decades, and in the 1970s, he wrote for the
LAKE PLACID NEWS and more recently for the PLATTSBURGH PRESS-REPUBLICAN;
and
WHEREAS, Francis Betters is survived by his wife, Jan Betters; a
daughter, Margaret Bickford; one granddaughter, Pam Shambo; and two
great-grandchildren, Corrine and Dexter; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Francis Betters leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Francis Betters, well-known author, fly fisherman and
devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Francis Betters.