Another Fly Fishing Myth

Recently, I’ve written a couple of posts about where I’ve found errors in fact by so called “experts” in regard to fly fishing. In “Free Fly Fishing Advice,” I wrote about reading where an “expert” had answered a question about tippets and suggested you matched your tippet to the type of fish you were pursuing. In “Fly Fishing Giggles,” I reported on some absolute rubbish that was written by someone named “Markus Debra.” Debra talked suggested halibut was a freshwater species, and that bamboo rods were “common,” while graphite or carbon fiber rods are mainly used for catching “coarse” fish. It’s all kind of funny and a little sad to read stuff like that.

I was browsing the Wikipedia entry on fly fishing this morning and came across this in the first paragraph:

“Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method, most renowned as a method for catching trout and salmon, but employed today for a wide variety of species including pike, bass, panfish, grayling and carp, as well as marine species, such as redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass. There are many reports of fly anglers taking unintended species such as chub, bream and rudd while fishing for ‘main target’ species such as trout. There is a growing population of anglers whose aim is to catch as many different species as possible with the fly.”

I don’t know who writes this stuff, and perhaps I’ve missed something, but it seems to me from the reading that I’ve done, focusing on trout and salmon is a fairly modern thing among fly anglers. The above paragraph is written in such a way that some folk might not realize that fly fishing in Izaak Walton’s day included pursuing a number of different fish species, including gudgeons, sprats, bleaks, herns, tench, roach, umber, loach, and sticklebag. Walton also provides a recipe for cooking eel.

It’s kind of funny – if Brown Trout were being introduced to North America today, there would be a hue and cry from many fly anglers about this “invasive” species that voraciously competes with the naturals of North America. Perhaps many still don’t realize that Brown Trout are not native to North America and were imported from Europe. And indeed, they have competed with natural species. In some watersheds, there is evidence that the browns feast upon the brook trout, and have lowered their numbers.

If we’re going to give fish “respect,” then perhaps we should take another look at Izaak Walton’s attitude. Many consider him the “father of fly fishing,” and use his name in all sorts of ways to promote businesses, clubs and associations. Let’s dispel those salmon and trout myths – and let’s remember that Atlantic Salmon were once “so respected and revered” that they were pitchforked during their runs up rivers from the Great Lakes by folk who wanted to make a meal of them.

By the way, there’s a copy of The Compleat Angler by Walton on this site.