South Burlington fly fisher gave Vermont a new state symbol Rhey Plumley, 76, died peacefully at Respite House due to complications of Alzheimer’s. Fly fisher, tyer, teacher, mentor, friend and all-around wonderful human being, he is survived by his siblings Bruce, Alison and Bob; and by his partner, best friend and fishing buddy, Sheila Reid. Rhey was born and grew up in various places in upstate New York. After graduating from Ottawa University in Kansas, he began his first career working with people who had developmental disabilities. He worked at Brandon Training School and the Howard Center and for the State of Vermont. He was proud of his work with and for his clients, one of whom remained a friend ’til the end. In the mid-1980s, he began his second career in the world of fishing — particularly fly fishing. He started at Knight’s Sporting Goods and moved to Classic Outfitters, where he managed the store for many years. He became a certified fly-fishing instructor — one of the very few in Vermont at the time. He immersed himself in fly tying, and then he began sharing his knowledge. It is probably accurate to say that he taught hundreds of people to cast or tie flies. He was a patient and encouraging teacher who always retained his sense of humor. He was generous with his time to Trout Unlimited, Casting for Recovery, and various veterans’ and school groups. Writing was important to Rhey. Although his published output was limited, he loved to let his imagination run wild as he created fiction, or to inform as he wrote about topics pertaining to fishing or fly tying. Although he fished for many species, his passion was fishing for Atlantic salmon, and he treasured his trips to Maine, Québec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland/Labrador chasing Salmo salar. Always a dreamer, Rhey thought that Vermont should have a fly-fishing fly as a state symbol. He did the research, pitched the idea, gained support from the Fish & Wildlife Department, and obtained legislative backing. In May 2014, the “Governor Aiken bucktail streamer” became an official state symbol and Vermont the first state to have a fly-fishing fly as a symbol. Rhey then wrote about this process and the symbol for The American Fly Fisher, a scholarly publication of the American Museum of Fly Fishing. In retirement, Rhey and Sheila continued to fish and travel until COVID-19 curtailed these adventures, as it did for many…