More fish have been caught in my shop than on most streams -Elizabeth Greig¹

In the late 1930’s, Mrs. Greig was a co-founder of the Angler’s Roost, a popular fly fishing shop in the Chrysler Building in New York City. Although nearly forgotten today, in 1946 historian John McDonald described her as the " First Lady of U.S. Fly Tying" ². She was one of the country’s most accomplished fly tyers and was particularly noted for her ability to tie a fly by hand with out the use of a conventional vise.¹

The daughter of a stone mason, Elizabeth was born in 1902 in Peebles, Scotland. She grew up learning to fish on the banks of the River Tweed and at the age of 7 began to tie flies. When she was 14 years old, their family moved to Edinburgh, where Elizabeth spent four years as an apprentice at a fly-dressing factory. In the early 1930’s she married Robert Greig and immigrated to Canada, where they lived for several years before moving to New York City. Elizabeth was the first woman elected to the International Fishing and Hunting Hall of Fame. She was noted for her ability at tying trout flies and was considered the best in the United States at constructing full-dressed salmon flies.²