Roy Steenrod met Theodore Gordon while Steenrod was working at the post office in Liberty, New York. Steenrod was a young man of 22 years when he became a close friend of the legendary fly fisherman. The young Steenrod became the receipent of many fly fishing lessons, both on the stream and at the vise. Roy Steenrod paid back this debt to Gordon by becoming one of if not "THE" best fly tying instructors in the Catskills. Roy was a constant teacher at summer camps, conservation camps and Boy Scout meetings, giving of his time, knowledge and the techniques he learned from Gordon. Steenrod received quite a few letters from Gordon regarding fly fishing, the text of one as follows: Bradley, N.Y., December 4, 1914.

Dear Mr. Steenrod: To tie good flies takes time and patience. I learned everything I know from books and can tie all sorts of flies, in all sorts of ways. It is a work of time to collect a decent lot of stuff for trout flies. Salmon fly materials are very expensive. The flies are tedious, troublesome, but lovely things. At one time I sent a few to every salmon fisher I knew, in this country and abroad. Theodore Gordon.

The Spring of 1916 would be an eventful one for Steenrod. While fishing a hatch of "Ephemerella subvaria" at Ferdon's eddy on the Beaverkill with his companion, the notable A.E. Hendrickson, Roy tied up a fly to imitate this wonderful spring mayfly. The fly pattern he tied that day would go on to be one of the most successful patterns ever invented, the "Hendrickson" which Roy named the fly a few years later to honor his friend. So effective did the pattern become, that today we refer to the actual mayfly as the Hendrickson, much in the same manner as the Epeorus Pleuralis mayfly is called the "Quill Gordon".

Roy Steenrod was also an advocate for public fishing rights and conservation. The year 1926 saw Steenrod, now 43 years old become a New York State Conservation Officer, in his beloved Catskill Region, and Roy would hold that position for 26 years until his retirement in 1952. Roy Steenrod fly fisherman, fly-tyer, teacher, conservationist and friend to all, passed away in 1977 at the age of 94.