Bob Ewald joins the NYS Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame

By Connor Linskey
Posted 5/5/21

Robert Ewald, a resident of Pine Bush, recently received the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame Association’s Educational Program Award for his lifelong commitment and vast repertoire of …

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Bob Ewald joins the NYS Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame

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Robert Ewald, a resident of Pine Bush, recently received the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame Association’s Educational Program Award for his lifelong commitment and vast repertoire of work in the area of youth and youth programs related to conservation.

Ewald’s interest as an outdoorsman began at the age of 12 when he would help his father stock trout in New Jersey streams. At that time, he developed an interest in outdoor sports. In his teen years he became interested in fly tying. Since there was no training available in this art, he taught himself the necessary skills to tie all the classical and popular flies from the few sources available for tying at the time, gaining this knowledge from catalogues.

Ewald went on to receive a degree in engineering from Fairleigh-Dickinson University as well as his teaching certification from Montclair State University. While teaching in the Middletown, School District he was responsible for implementing fly tying classes in the school’s curriculum, as well as in local 4-H programs. This gave Ewald an opportunity to teach young people how to tie flies and broadened their interests in the values as well as the benefits of traditional outdoor sports, sportsmanship, the environment as well as conservation.

In addition to his teaching of young people, Ewald became involved with many of the sportsmen’s clubs throughout the Hudson Valley. These included the County Seat Conservation Club, the Shawangunk Fish and Game Association, of which he was president for several years, a charter member of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and the Hudson Valley Fly Fishers. He also helped to form the Southern Catskill Anglers, serving as president for many years.

Upon retirement from teaching in 1989, Ewald furthered his involvement in the art of fly tying by helping to establish a fly fishing camp for youth through the New Jersey School of Conservation, which is part of Montclair State University. Soon after retirement, he was successful in having fly fishing and fly tying included in the physical education program at Pine Bush High School. A marksmanship program was later added that allowed the use of air rifles. At Pine Bush, this marksmanship program also allowed students with special needs to participate. The “Outdoor Adventures” program grew where students were able to go on school sanctioned field trips that included fly fishing with flies they created, 3D Archery, shooting sporting clays as well as trap shooting.

“These things are skills that we could teach to juniors and seniors in high school, the idea being they’ve kicked enough footballs, they’ve hit enough golf balls and tennis balls and they have had to repeat that boring type of stuff and it doesn’t fit into ‘where am I going when I’m out of here,’” Ewald said. “The expression of let’s give them skills that they can take with them for their junior and senior years and therefore take whatever life is in store for them. That was the philosophy behind outdoor education.”

Brian Miller, assemblyman for the 101st New York State Assembly District, presented Ewald with a citation on April 15.

Ewald was grateful for the award, Miller’s citation as well as the relationships he built with the children who participated in his programs over the years.

“I am humbled, I really am,” he said regarding receiving the award. “The rewards that came before were the smiles on a kid’s face.”