PROGRESS (OR OTHERWISE) OF A FLY FISHERMAN

A fly fisherman is a true artist.  He casts and performs a beautiful display of loops and curves with his line as he sends it spinning over the water, eventually placing the fly at the end of the line in front of the fish lurking just below the surface; the fish doesn’t stand a chance.  For the fish it is fatal temptation and it is not too long before our artist and hero is ‘bringing in the big one’ (all 12 inches of it)!  What poetry in motion, what a feeling of satisfaction, what a tale for the telling.

These thoughts were not exactly in Denis’s mind when, in the early 1980’s he thought he would try his hand at fly fishing.  The nearest river was out of bounds so he spent hours of practicing in a field and even more hours untangling the line from the ledge behind him.  As he practiced he dared to think of the triumphs that would be his – perhaps in the not too distant future.

Unfortunately, due to a busy workload and lots of other problems that beset our hero, it was not until six years later after arriving in British Columbia, Canada that he dared to dream again.

Denis was sensing that this fly fishing business was not going to be a piece of cake.  Weighed down by all kinds of equipment that he didn’t really need as a beginner, he joined the ‘experts’ at two local lakes in Victoria.  To his horror his casting had deteriorated, he was using the wrong type of flies and worse still, was creating too much of a splash on the lake, immediately advertising his presence to the fish and irritating other anglers nearby on the lake.

After a few weeks of getting nowhere, he got fed up and decided on a bit of an excursion into sea fishing.  With Michael, his stepson and Brian, the next door neighbour, he spent many happy but not so fruitful hours, trolling and spinning for salmon in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

As he became more practiced in his art, our intrepid hero had to suffer the indignities of overturned canoes, soaking clothes, flies in the hair, stalled engines on the boat, tangled lines and countless other stories to explain ‘The one that got away’.

Like so many other amateurs wanting to reach the height of perfection, a never ending cash flow was required to purchase the ‘vital’ equipment needed to assure success.  This included rods – not just any rod but the best hand-made rod of baron/graphite, a descendant of the bamboo rod used in fly fishing because of its lightweight and flexibility.  Naturally, there was an array of back-up rods designed according to the species of fish to be caught.

Of course, there was the reel to go on the rod.  Reels on fly rods are for carrying the fishing line and that is all as far as the layman is concerned.  But as with all other equipment, reels come in a variety of sizes for various purposes.  Clearly, nothing but the best of each type would be appropriate for Denis.

Hooks and flies – without which it is difficult to catch a fish, were added to the ever swelling inventory.  Hooks vary in size, again depending on the type and size of fish being pursued.  Prior to the acceptance of the environmental footprint, barbed hooks were used giving the fish little of no chance of survival.  From the writer’s point of view, this was particularly cruel when it came to trying to remove them from the fish because the barb was almost impossible to remove without tearing the flesh.  Now barb less hooks are encouraged and indeed, in many places, they are the only hooks allowed.  These provide a sporting chance for the fish to ‘de hook’ itself as it jumps out of the water and also the hook is easily removed without harm if the fish is to be released back into the water.

Flies – a fly, is a fly, is a fly – not so when it comes to flies for sports fishing.  They come in a beautiful array of colours for all kinds of fish and all kind of weather as well as ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ flies.  The dry flies float on top of the surface and the wet fly (lure) swims on the surface water or below.  In both cases the choice depends on what type of fish the fisherman is chasing, their feeding habits, the environment and the weather.

Having spent a small fortune on equipment so far, it was something of a surprise when our expert decided to tie his own flies.  Now, fly-tying was the all consuming hobby when he was not fishing and it was much less expensive than buying flies.

Clothing was not exempt from the ‘I definitely need’ list.  When he started fishing, Denis was content with the basics which comprised a good pair of stout shoes or gum boots.  As he progressed in his art, he found that waders were a definite asset which enabled him to go into the river (hip or chest waders being available).  His forays into the river also necessitated a wading stick to test the depth of the waters and the bottom of the river (mud has a habit of sinking).

It was not too long before he realized that it was easier to deal with a broken line or tippet in mid-stream, rather than returning to the river bank to look for the necessary implements and materials to mend the break.  Therefore, a fishing vest had to be purchased; otherwise it would be impossible to fish!

A fishing vest is a waistcoat composed of a multitude of pockets upon pockets to hold all the tools of the trade and a variety of clips on which to hang the implements not suitable for pocket storage.  Amongst other things, the vest may sport pliers, penknives, files, flies, fly boxes, a thermometer, a flotant, scissors, a fly drying patch etc.  In fact a well equipped fly vest, fully loaded, succeeds in presenting our intrepid fisherman as a ‘Pearly King’ or Christmas tree without lights.

As he climbed the expensive ladder of success to fishing competency and in some cases, outstanding flashes of brilliance, Denis had one very important less to learn – times and weather.  The optimum times for fishing would appear to be between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. and one hour before dusk to half an hour after dusk.  There are, of course, other times to be tried – all day long if necessary, but those are the times yielding the best results.

As in countless situations, other than fishing, the weather is crucial.  Equipment and knowledge is required to supplement each weather condition individually.  A strong cold wind can cause the fish to go deeper into the water.  Bright days with a cloudless sky or white clouds tend to enhance the vision of the fish.  The ideal condition may well be the still, dull warm day in excess of 50ºF.  Fish will not rise if the outside temperature is colder than the water.

Finally, what does our hero see in this sport of fly fishing?  To the layman or onlooker it is a dull, boring, slow and often futile sport, to say nothing of the cost which does not stop at equipment.  To fish the rivers can be exorbitantly expensive in fees, unless you are on special waters used by fishing clubs.

As Denis points out, it is the enjoyment of pitting his wits against those of the fish. What wits does a fish have, I ask?  He maintains that he does not have time to think about other mundane problems, he is getting plenty of aerobic exercise, climbing, walking and casting.  Above all there is the solitude, the river or lake, the countryside and the communion with nature.  Then there is always the anticipation of catching ‘The Big One’ or just ‘a fish’ to show for being out all day and half the night!

©2008 Susan Lancaster.

All rights reserved

SNOSRAP PUBLISHING, 3835 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, B.C. V9T 1G4 Canada.  info@snosrappublishing.com  www.snosrappublishing.com