About Steve
Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1942, Steve developed an early love of nature and fishing during family visits to his grandparents’ farm in Cherry Grove, Pennsylvania. His father was a fly fisherman, and Steve pursued brook trout in the local streams as well as black bass in nearby ponds. As soon as he was old enough to drive, he was fishing as often as possible throughout the Allegheny National Forest and Presque Isle State Park.
There are elements of both realism and impressionism in his work.
“Viewing Steve Smith’s carvings, you can’t help but wonder how nature came to create such beautiful and mysterious creatures. And this is the point. There is a reverence for nature at the heart of all Smith’s work. He is copying the work of a greater hand. These carvings transcend craft. They are art.”
- Jim Brown
excerpted from “Commemorating the Catch” catalog for 2019 exhibit at The American Museum of Fly Fishing