I was born to a poor bait fishing family in central Illinois. Thus, my earliest memories of fishing are of dark nights filled with the sent of stink bait and catfish. The TV show, "Gad About Gaddis," started me thinking about other ways to fish - like with flies! Finally, at the age of 12, a fly fishing Uncle in Missouri gave me my first fly fishing lessons and managed to get me into my first fly caught trout. I saw the light and never fished stink bait again.

My interest in fly fishing and entomology fully developed after I moved to the Northwest in 1969. Since then I have traveled throughout the West, fishing for wild native trout, and collecting and studying the insects on which they feed. I have also fished and collected insects in Chile, Argentina and on the chalk streams of southern England, the birthplace of angling entomology.

I have worked as a professional aquatic entomologist for nearly 25 years.In 1973 I received my Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Western Washington University at Bellingham, Washington, and in 1979 a Master of Science degree in aquatic entomology from Oregon State University at Corvallis, Oregon.

In the course of both my professional work and my fly fishing, I have studied the aquatic insects in creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes in all of the states and provinces from Alaska to California, and from the Pacific Coast through the Rocky Mountains. I have written articles for scientific journals, and have penned the Aquatic Entomology column for American Angler magazine for over 20 years. I have co-authored several books on fly fishing, a member of the North American Benthological Society, Oregon Trout, and the Native Fish Society, and have been awarded life membership to the Federation of Fly Fishers and the Flyfisher's Club of Oregon for my contributions to fly fishing literature.

I currently live in Gresham, Oregon with my wife Carol.

Books by Rick:
An Angler's Guide to Aquatic Insects and Their Imitations,
by Rick Hafele and Scott Roederer. Johnson Books, Boulder, CO. 1995.

The Complete Guide to Western Hatches,
by Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes. Frank Amato Publications, Portland, OR. 1981.

Western Mayfly Hatches,
by Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes. Frank Amato Publications, Portland, OR. 2004

Nymph-Fishing Rivers and Streams,
by Rick Hafele. Stackpole Books, 2006 - www.stackpolebooks.com

These books are available through fly shops, book stores and this web site
(checkout the books we have available by Rick and others)!

Rick's Band, Howling Trout (provided soundtracks for our fly fishing DVD's)
www.htrout.com

E-Mail Rick Hafele at Laughing Rivers