David Engerbretson was born in Tracy, Minn on 18 February 1936 to Adolph "Shing" and Marcella Engergretson. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and general sciences. He earned a Masters of Science in physical education from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D from Pennsylvania State University in exercise science. He taught at Washington State University's College of Education until 1997. Engergretson married JoAnn Hanson and then Shirley Goodsell. Engergretson was an avid fly fisher, working as a commercial fly tier for the Orvis Company and was a licensed fishing guide. He conducted a fly fishing school at the K Bar L Ranch in Montana. The Federation of Fly Fishers presented him with the Charles E. Brooks Memorial of Life Award in 2002 and he wrote "Tight Lines, Bright Water" in 1986. Engergretson's work was featured in numerous magazines as a writer, photographer, and editor and he also provided services such as lecturer, tackle designer, and consultant as well as host of the PBS series "Fly-Tying: The Angler's Art." Engergretson died 30 July 2003 in Moscow, Idaho.

Duke Parkening was born 20 December 1921 in Kansas to Otto and Muriel Parkening. He was a clarinetist and tenor sax player for many big bands and married actress Betty Marshall in 1945. Parkening would work for Coldwell Banker and in 1968 the couple moved to their ranch on the Clearwater River in Idaho. Parkening died 22 July 2010 in Kooskia, Idaho.

This collection was created as a sub-collection with the Day-Northwest (Day-NW) to highlight the special interest of the fly fishing collection and due to space constraints at the time of acquisition. The other books within the Day-NW collection can be found by using this Day-NW search in the library catalog which was queried by Special Collections Staff.