FOSAF NEWS - Thomas James Sutcliffe - A FOSAF Eulogy

Good afternoon, everybody,

I'm really sorry that Tom wasn't here to introduce all the speakers because as both Stephen (Boshoff) and Fareed (Abdullah) have said he was that kind of person (who would make you all welcome). I am Ilan Lax the National Chairperson of the Federation of Southern African Flyfishers (FOSAF) and in that capacity I worked with Tom a great deal.

He would start off every executive committee meeting or AGM by greeting everybody in the room and introducing those who didn't know each other (saying something relevant or personal about each person) and so I can align myself with what Farid said, in that he would have made all of us here feel absolutely at home to be here.

So dear Kathy (who is not able to be here), Theresa, Victoria Anne, Robert and Alison and your families, as well all those people who cherished Tom in whatever sphere of life you have encountered him.

In my heart Tom was a mensch, it's a Yiddish word that means "a person of integrity, morality, dignity, with a sense of what is right and responsible", a person's person, who was special and did all of those things you'd expect.

Thomas James Sutcliffe was an icon of South African and world Flyfishing. A veritable flyfishing polymath (a person who was expert in the many different spheres and facets of that subtle art we call flyfishing). The way I think that Stephen put it, is that flyfishers are not just people who fish, but rather also people who observe, who have an interest in so many facets of what it is that we do. We are people who are interested in life, in the world and in what happens around us. Tom really personified that. He has shaped the flyfishing practice and ethos of so many people though his various pursuits:

• His books, there were seven of them, achieved world-wide recognition, inspire and elucidate and will continue to do so;
• His flyfishing art, provides joy, is widely appreciated and sought after. (Tom had the ability to sit during meetings and with simple line drawings capture the essence of a fly, a building or moment and be able to reflect that passion of his outwards in a way that others would enjoy it. That was a very special talent.
• The Spirit of Flyfishing website played a huge role in enhancing the image of fly angling in the country and (according to Ed Herbs who would have been speaking here instead of me had he been feeling better) Tom's monthly newsletter was read in 92 countries. Thus, even as "an old crock" he was able to come to terms with the electronic world, be it photography or over the internet. There are not many people of his generation who did that, which is again something very special.
• His innovative fly tying: the DDD, his Zak Nymph and his Single Feather Midge among others, and his adaptions or "playing around" with other patterns in ways that improved or perfected them, are used extensively. He did all of this quietly and unassumingly. A week ago, I was at the NFDS meeting in Pietermaritzburg where we remembered Tom. Jim Read told of an occasion where Tom had demonstrated the tying of a particular fly pattern or technique. One of the young kids in the room went away after that evening having learned that pattern. At the next meeting of the NFDS, he came up to Tom and said "Mr Sutcliffe I'd really like to show you this new way I've thought of doing this fly, I think it's better than yours." Tom was taken back just a little bit, but he invited the youngster to show him this approach, and Tom said "Wow!" From then on, he used that new way to tie the fly. This demonstrates that he was the kind of person who was always open-minded, always willing to listen and see something new that could be done a different way. And I think that's echoed in what Fareed said (in the health administration space) it comes through and for me validates all of that.
• In 1981 he journeyed to Manchester Vermont and obtained the South African agency for Orvis. This resulted in the opening of The Flyfisheman, South Africa's first dedicated fly-fishing shop at that time. I remember being a young student, finding my way to Dean Street on a Saturday morning and listening to these older guys speaking about all sorts of nuances of flyfishing. For someone like me this was a wonderful experience, as I could just sit there and listen to them speaking. So yes, Tom made that possible together with his partners in that business for me and many others.

These are a few examples of Tom's influence and why his knowledgeable practiced craft and experience on almost any kind of waters and facet of our sport, make all of us want to emulate him in becoming not just better fly anglers, but also better people.

Tom was a founding member of FOSAF in 1986 and together with other leading flyfishers from across South Africa, (at the time there was a threat against trout fishing in the Cape) was instrumental in bringing various groups together in an over-arching federation, to foster flyfishing interests and the riparian and aquatic ecosystems we spend our time fishing. Tom always emphasised that aspect, it's not just about the fishing, rather about where the fish are, about the conditions there. As Stephen very correctly said, trout are "the canary in the coalmine", for our rivers and streams. If trout can't survive in those waters very little else will.

Tom was a consummate administrator and diplomat. I vividly recall attending my first FOSAF engagement which was a Trout workshop held in Pietermaritzburg in the middle 1990s. I had been invited to participate by Bill Bainbridge and Jim Read. As a young earnest human rights orientated person I had made a few heartfelt radical but assertive comments about flyfishing's reputation at the time and the need to be seen to be making a contribution to the unfolding new democracy, including some thoughts on what we might do to change these perceptions. I could not help notice a few incensed faces around the room. Nevertheless, Tom in his inimitable way defused the situation and steered the discussion to a point where almost no one in the room disagreed on what had to be done to take FOSAF and flyfishing forward. His wisdom and leadership ensured some of these ideas were effectively implemented.

Tom's wisdom wasn't just about which fights to take on but also about which fights not to take on. This was important advice, about what issues or people not to waste one's energy on, but rather how to strategically find other ways to deal with these problems and situations.

Tom served on our Executive Committee and as National Chairman led the Federation for many years. He was our current President and maintained an important presence supporting FOSAF's leadership. We thank his family for sharing him with us.

Tom was extremely well connected having built professional and flyfishing networks across the globe. He leveraged these effectively as a supporter of FOSAF and flyfishing in South Africa and was extremely generous with his contributions. Its somewhat ironic but I find myself wishing for some young upstarts to shake things up now that I'm restless in that chair.

These are just a few aspects of Tom's contribution to our gentle art.

The expressions of mourning reflected in social media posts are a manifestation of the esteem in which Tom was held and the sense of loss which his passing has created.

I end by quoting two passages from Rumi 13th-century Persian Sufi, poet, philosopher. The first as a personal thought for Tom's family and those close to him:

"Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom."

The next of more general application:
"I learned that every mortal will taste death. But only some will taste life."

From all I've heard and known, Tom really tasted life! We would honour him by endeavouring to emulate his fine example.

As we say in my tradition: "I wish you all a long life."

Ilan Lax
National Chairperson FOSAF.

18th April 2024.

Return to News