If you have any interest at all in the outdoors, the odds are good that the name John Merwin rings a bell.
Merwin had an intense passion for fishing and made a career out of writing about what he loved. Sadly, on Feb. 20, Merwin passed away in Lebanon, New Hampshire, at the age of 66. His wife, Martha Poole Merwin, said he had been hospitalized recently with several illnesses. The late author/outdoorsman got his start at age 3 fishing for bass and bluegills on his grandfather’s farm in Wilton, Connecticut. From there, his love for fishing grew to the point where he shared the water with legends such as Lee Wulff and A.J. McClane.
In the 1970s, Merwin was doing his best to make a living as a farmer in Vermont when he decided to go back to his journalistic roots (prior to farming, Merwin had worked as a reporter) and moved to Dorset, Vermont, to be managing editor of Fly Fisherman.
Years later, he launched Rod & Reel magazine, a title that was later changed to Fly Rod & Reel. In addition, he also started Fly Tackle Dealer, which was the fly-fishing industry’s first trade publication. In 1994, Merwin signed on with Field & Stream as its fishing editor, a position he held until 2010.
Merwin is survived by his wife, daughter Emily, sons Jason and Sam, granddaughter Cassandra, and brothers Tom and Gus.
