The Contemplative Angler

When we think of fly fishing for trout, our thoughts usually go toward providing a fly that will mimic a prevailing hatch of insects or a minnow species found in that stream. We play upon the hunger of our prey and invite him to a feast. But what if he is sated?

It is said that all anglers are liars. I deny that charge, I believe that anglers simply view the material world in a different, more open-minded way than the common man. We see the potential in all things, the spirit of life springing forth endlessly. We know that the fish we release today might, to the unenlightened gaze and the harsh reality of a tape measure, be only ten inches long -- but we see more.

It is altogether too common to read articles which advocate the use of split-shot or weighted flies to "bottom-dredge" (their parlance) for trout while using fly rods and fly line. While I certainly advocate diversity of views and innovative approaches to problem-solving, I do not like to see Fair Reason driven from the discussion like some crazed trollop for asking the question "Why?".

The definition of Fly Fishing is relevant to fishermen only when it is incorporated in public policy; for example, when certain waters are set aside as Fly Fishing Only (FFO). Sundry definitions of this sport have been asserted by different states and provinces. Some have been legally correct but largely ignored, such as clear prohibitions against attaching dropper flies to the hook bend of a fly; others have been so vague as to be useless. However, with the exception of some of the Canadian Maritime Provinces, all the FFO definitions since approximately 1992 have permitted the use of weight on line and/or leader and/or fly.