Born 8 December 1939 in Zautig,  Saxon-Switzerland, Germany

I grew up with an interest in nature. I was often allowed to accompany my grandfather, a game warden, hunting.  Being more interested in underwater fauna, I fished very early on in creeks and rivers, without a license "of course." There were other activities to occupy the time during and immediately after the Second World War. Thanks to the army/air force, I came to Bavaria in 1958 and, in Fürstenfeldbruck, I found a new emphasis for my life.  Due to the location in the Alpine foreland, I had a wide range of opportunities in terms of fishing.  Rivers, lakes, mountains and all at my front door.  Soon I had a circle of similarly-oriented friends and joined the D´Wörthseefischer fishing club.

At the Bavarian Fish Institute in Starnberg, I completed my fishing certification,  hydrology maintenance courses, weekend seminars for the administration of the club's waters, and a course and test in electro-fishing.

In the beginning, I practiced the usual coarse, bottom, and spin fishing.  I began fly fishing in 1975. I made my first attempts at casting thanks to my friend Hermann Vater, who learned his casting style from Hans Gebetsroither, the mentor of fly fishing on the Gmundner Traun. I soon arrived at the conclusion that fly fishing is the most wonderful and sportsmanlike way to fish - and I maintain that point of view to this day.

It did not take long until I wanted to catch a fish on a fly I had tied.  Since then, I tie my own flies. I taught myself a thorough knowledge of entomology  by means of the appropriate literature (also international literature) and observation of nature along water bodies.  This has been a definite advantage in tying flies and fly fishing.

I fish mostly on my home waters such as the Amper, Maisach, Isar, Weiße Traun, and Paar. In Austria, my flies have become familiar with the fishing on the Gmundner Traun and Ager, as well as the Mürz, Mühlheimer Ache, Grosse Mühl, Drau, and Gail. I have fished in Slovenia und

Croatia on the Sava Bohinka, Soca, Krka, Kupa, Una Unec, and Neretva. In South Tyrol, a real test for the fly fisherman, I have fished the Passer, Talfer, Etsch, and Falschauerbach. It was very interesting in Ireland to fish with the "blow-line" on Loughs such as the Corrib, Mask, and Melvin, and in rivers such as the Bandouragha, Eriff, Bandrows, Erne, and Moy. I have even cast my fly line in eastern Canada (Labrador), New Zealand, and Australia.

The greatest challenge remains, for me, the finicky  grayling of the Gmunder Traun.  Each year I drive to the Friends of the Gmunder Traun where I am a member -- even one of the top members.

In November 2002, a number of fly fishers, in the D´Wörthseefischer fishing club, and I founded a  fly-fishing meeting (www.fliegenfischertreff-fario.de) which takes place once a month.  The regular meeting should be considered an interest- and working group for "friends" of the sport of fishing and nature in order to increase knowledge of fly fishing and to exchange experience.

The following are covered in the evenings:
-  Fly tying by the participants
- Casting demonstrations with various rods, equipment evaluation                                
- Entomology
- Exchange of experience both on club waters and elsewhere
- Various video or DVD shows

I remain at your disposal for questions about fly fishing and fly tying and will not "hold anything back."