Fly fishing article
Matt M.
outdoor columnist and of course, today's the deadline so I was sitting here
all day procrastinating/writing. It's cold and snowing outside anyway so I
didn't miss anything by sitting at the computer all day.
The article is about fishing and the fly fishing course offered at state
college so I thought I would post it...
Fly Fishing 101
Many of the students attending Penn State Worthington plan on
completing their college careers at main campus. I envy them. I'll be
graduating from the Worthington campus, which is great, but I still take a
number of road trips every year to enjoy the atmosphere that State College
has to offer. When I travel to State College, I don't go for the football, I
go for the fly fishing. Please, forgive me. It's no secret among fly
fishermen that the rivers flowing through Centre County offer some of the
finest trout fishing opportunities in the world. Some would even argue that
the waters around State College are a sacred Mecca for fly fishermen, a
place where all anglers must visit at least once. I agree. Since I
discovered the great fly fishing in State College, I have made an annual
pilgrimage.
Many years ago, when our parents would have been Penn State
students, a gifted angler by the name of George Harvey implemented a fly
fishing program at Penn State University. The class, which was the first of
it's kind, offered students an accredited course in fly fishing. How cool is
that? Mr. Harvey, who is known as "the dean of fly fishing" realized then
that the lessons learned while fly fishing could not be taught in a
classroom. The skills and traits that make a successful angler transcend the
act of fishing and enrich all aspects of one's life. All good fly fishermen
share skills such as patience, perseverance and contemplation. If the river
were a classroom, the syllabus would cover entomology, sociology, hydrology,
epistemology, physiology, meteorology, and sometimes, when the fish aren't
biting, mixology. George Harvey had great foresight and realized early on
the value of conservation. He grew up fishing the streams of Centre County
during "the good old days" and throughout his life, has fought to maintain
the beauty of his home waters. He knew, in 1947, that students who learned
to fly fish would learn more than how to catch a fish; they would learn to
be patient, to contemplate the interdependence of all things, and above all,
to be better people. I think George Harvey was on to something, as his class
is still being offered at Penn State.
The streams of Centre County share several unique qualities,
which combine to produce a world famous fishery. They are born from giant
springs deep within the earth and flow through beds of limestone on their
way to the Susquehanna River. The springs maintain a steady water
temperature year round while the limestone provides nutrients for a wide
variety of aquatic plants. The plants provide habitat for billions of
insects, which in turn, provide an endless feast for the resident trout.
Because the water maintains a relatively stable temperature, Centre County
trout are able to feed when most trout in the state have called it quits for
the winter. The trout are fat, spoiled and picky. Unlike humans, these
qualities make trout interesting.
Fly fishing gets its name from the lures, or flies, that fly
fishermen use to fool their prey. A typical spring creek contains dozens of
species of Mayflies, Caddis flies, Stoneflies, Midges, Crustaceans and
Minnows. Each one has a unique size, color and life cycle. Depending upon
the time of year, the bugs represent a varying degree of importance in the
trout's diet. The job of the fly fisherman is to figure out which life
cycle, of which insect, the trout are feeding on, and present a passable
copy to the trout. With so many insects living in the spring creeks, this
can be a daunting task. The flies that fly fisherman use are made up of bits
of fur and feathers tied to a hook. If you've never seen a fly before, you
might be amazed at the realism that a good fly tier can produce. Or, you
might react like my mother did when I showed her some of my flies, screaming
"get those things out of here, they're disgusting". Most fly fishermen I
know tie their own flies, and most agree that tying flies is just as fun as
using them. One of the most satisfying things about fly fishing is figuring
out what insect the trout are eating, tying a perfect imitation of that
insect, and catching fish all day on 'your' fly. It's even more satisfying
when no one else is catching any.
Because the trout in Centre County all have PhD's, it takes an experienced
angler to fool them consistently. Many anglers have cursed these picky
trout, swearing that they're impossible to catch. I know I have. I have
always wished I could attend the fly fishing course at Main Campus, to get a
little insight from 'the dean of fly fishing'. If you've read this far, and
you'll be attending Penn State main campus, you might consider KINES 004,
Principle and Practices of Fly Fishing for Trout. Although George Harvey has
retired, the lessons he learned on stream have been handed down to capable
hands. The curriculum has not changed and covers all aspects of fly fishing
for trout. The class will teach you how to tie flies and cast a fly rod as
well as how to locate trout and determine what they're feeding on. Most
importantly, by taking this class, you can take part in the rich heritage
that makes our state and university so special. Plus, it will look great on
your resume. See you on the river.
--
Matt M...
____Remove THEBARB to reply___
Tim J.
"Matt M." <mmc...@THEBARBadelphia.net> wrote in message
news:xe4ia.9062$FN.53...@news2.news.adelphia.net...
> I just finished writing this article for my school newspaper. I'm the
> outdoor columnist and of course, today's the deadline so I was sitting here
> all day procrastinating/writing. It's cold and snowing outside anyway so I
> didn't miss anything by sitting at the computer all day.
> The article is about fishing and the fly fishing course offered at state
> college so I thought I would post it...
<snip>
And a fine article it is, too. Thanks, Matt.
--
TL,
Tim
http://css.sbcma.com/timj
Tim Lysyk
Tim Lysyk
timlysyk at telus dot net
Wolfgang Siebeneich
>
> I just finished writing this article for my school newspaper.......
Well, you left out the scatology and the ever present groupies but,
aside from that, VERY nice work!
Wolfgang
jeffc
"Matt M." <mmc...@THEBARBadelphia.net> wrote in message
news:xe4ia.9062$FN.53...@news2.news.adelphia.net...
Matt, I enjoyed your article. I think it was both a good intro to those
unfamiliar with fly fishing and accurate.
Is Joe Humphreys teaching the course, or is it on to someone new now?
DCWDFF
Thanks for the article Matt. It is hard to realize that we first met at Wayno's
first ROFF Clave back in 1999.
Big Dale
Roger Ohlund
"Matt M." <mmc...@THEBARBadelphia.net> wrote in message
news:xe4ia.9062$FN.53...@news2.news.adelphia.net...
Good article.
Thanks/ Roger
walt winter
game?
ypitons......... waldo
"Matt M." wrote:
--
Tight Lines,
--Walt
Fly Fishing NC & more...
http://www.ezflyfish.com
http://www.wilsoncreekoutfitters.com
Matt M.
"DCWDFF" <dcw...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030401022821...@mb-fj.aol.com...
That really does seem llike a lifetime ago. Never, since then, have I
experienced such a wicked hangover as the one I had at that clave. The
Scotch, bottle after bottle....
I almost died and I'm half the age of the guys who were there. I remember
Tom Brown whipping up a breakfast of Country Ham with red eyed gravy. I ate
it up ( Tom is a wicked cook, a true master of the smoker) and then we took
a boat out on Lake Fontana (sp). I swear, the Vultures on shore all had
their eye on me that day.
Throw a plate of cured ham and coffee on top of a stomach full of whishey
tainted bile and hit the water in a little motor boat = bad news.
...but, I'd do it all over if I could.
McCray
( who's eyeing up a twelver of Miller as he types. It's two wheel tuesday on
Speed channel)
Matt M.
"jeffc" <f...@chance.com> wrote in message
news:n18ia.18964$PM3.7...@twister.southeast.rr.com...
Joe retired years ago. i'm sure he makes guest appearances but they have a
new instructor.
I would love to have taken that course when Joe was teaching it. Or George
for that matter.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/m/a/mab6/
DCWDFF
>( who's eyeing up a twelver of Miller as he types. It's two wheel tuesday on
>Speed channel)
>
You do keep bringing up memories...I am listening to American Thunder as i
wrote this. Hope you caught the battle of the twins...BMW race during Daytona
bike week. We don't see a photo finish often enough.
Big Dale