The Science of Fly Fishing
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When someone says fly-fishing, one may think of an older man standing in a stream, fishing rod in hand, line stretched out behind him as he begins to cast forward. Others may think of the 1992 film A River Runs Through It, starring a young Brad Pitt, and the stir the movie caused in the fly-fishing world. For Jesse Rock, fly-fishing is about sharing the streams and love of the sport with students while teaching them about the ecology of the waters. Jesse is a Wildlife Forester for the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society. He also used to be an adjunct professor for Paul Smith’s College where he taught classes on biology and forestry as well as a class he wrote called The Science and Art of Fly-Fishing.
Fly fishing is a sport that has a deep history and has once again seen a recent resurgence in popularity. Though, how fly fishing began is still a point of discussion within the fly-fishing community. Written accounts can be argued to be going back as far as 200 AD in Macedonia, with Roman writer Claudius Aelianus citing individuals creating fake flies out of wool and using six-foot long rods and lines to cast (Bernhardt, n.d., Hills, 1921, pg. 1 and 2). That being said, the “true” history of fly fishing is said to begin with Dame Juliana Berners writing the Treatise of Fishing with an Angle, printed in 1496. In this book, Dame Berners details the 12 essential flies that all anglers should use relating to the different months of the year. We still use some of these flies to this day. According to Outdoor Foundation (2022), there has been an increase in participation of fly fishing by almost 3% per year for the last five years. Education on how to fly fish is more widely available now thanks to the internet. “YouTube is your best friend. There's so much content out there nowadays, it's insane,” says Jesse. “Orvis does a really great series on learning everything you could possibly ever want to know about fly fishing.” He also cites that the fly-fishing community is often accepting of new anglers, suggesting that those looking to gain more experience should be willing to ask questions of others that they meet in the streams. “Most folks are willing to give you a few minutes and talk to you. They’re happy to talk to someone about the sport that they love.”
With an increase of people fishing in the waters comes an increased awareness of the current environmental impacts on fish and streams. “I’d say my understanding of fly fishing and how it kind of fits in the grand scheme of how we treat our waters and streams and rivers has affected my views on stream conservation, especially in the context that fly fishermen have impacts on their streams and river systems that they love,” said Jesse when asked about how his view on conservation has changed with fishing. Organizations such as Trout Unlimited make it their mission to care for the waters so future anglers can enjoy fishing as we do. They have many projects that span from fisheries and land management to watershed restoration (Trout Unlimited, 2023). “I had crossed paths a lot with work that was done to streams and aquatic systems in order to improve them for the support of fly fishing, specifically trout fishing, for the most part.”
It is important to learn about the fish and their habitat to better protect it. Learning the science behind fly fishing could even make you a better at the sport. “To be a good fly fisherman, you really do have to understand where you're fishing, not just the fish species that are there, but the type of habitats they use, how that habitat is provided by the stream, the impacts of the stream that can improve or limit your fishing capabilities. Understanding natural cycles like fly hatches, mayflies, stoneflies, caddis flies, when these species are going to be in the water and in the food chain for the trout that you're after. It allows them to go out best prepared with the proper imitations for flies at the proper time of year, knowing how the fish are going to react, where they're most likely going to be during different times of the day. There's a real focus on that the better you understand science and the science of streams and the and the ecology of streams, the better you will be.”
Another example of how understanding science and ecology can help in fishing is understanding stream shapes and features like riffles. These come into play by being able to recognize where a fish may be hiding depending on the temperature and time of year. Trout prefer colder and more oxygenated waters, so when it comes to those hot summer days in shallow streams, an angler may be better off looking to the riffles (a shallow area with larger stones and faster moving water that is rolling and turning, causing agitation and introducing more oxygen to the water) or the deepest pools. That said, it is encouraged to avoid fishing in the height of the summer as increased temperatures causes an increased stress on the fish, leading to a higher chance of their mortality. Some guides in Colorado have taken the initiative to make an ethical decision of refusing guiding trips during the hottest parts of the summer to the reduce the amount of stress inflicted on their local fish populations (Hunt, 2022). Jesse attributes this decision making to the amount of experience in the sport.
“I think one of the biggest things that once you get into the sport and get far enough along with it is there's a development of a sense of ethics that, while present in other forms of consumptive recreation, it really shows itself strong in fly fishing. You'll find that a lot of well experienced fly fishers have been doing this for a long, long time. They embrace elements of the sport that often make it harder or more difficult, or maybe not as productive, but that have what can be considered an ethic, or a fairness, or a recognition of the fact that they don't want to completely devoid every stream they fish of its fish population.”
This understanding is the reason why Jesse taught The Science and Art of Fly-Fishing class at Paul Smith’s College. He wanted to share his knowledge and passion of the sport with his students, as well as provide them with the hands-on experience and application of what was taught in the classroom. His students are able to walk away with the scientific knowledge of fish and stream ecology, the practical knowledge of knowing where to look for fish and how to catch them, as well as the rich history and background to help them make ethical decisions. These are skills that will last them a lifetime.
If you enjoy fishing in a stream, brook, or river on your property, consider creating a healthy buffer in order to protect fish and other aquatic life. The Adirondack Watershed Institute is recruiting landowners with streamside property to participate in Stream Wise, a new voluntary program that promotes and recognizes good stream stewardship. AWI is offering free Stream Wise assessments in the Saranac River watershed that uses a protocol based on research conducted on riparian buffer programs, regulations and guidelines for Vermont, New York and Quebec under a grant sponsored by the Lake Champlain Basin Program. To learn more and get involved, visit our Stream Wise webpage.
REFERENCES
Bernhardt, M. (n.d.). A History of Fly Fishing and Fly Fishing Flies: Then and Now. Retrieved from Drifthook: https://drifthook.com/blogs/discover/history-of-fly-fishing-and-fly-fishing-flies-then-and-now#:~:text=Fly%20fishing%20dates%20back%20to,method%20that%20utilizes%20artificial%20flies
Hills, J. W. (1921). A History of Fly Fishing for Trout. London: P. Allen & Company.
Hunt, N. (2022, May). Colorado’s Fly-Fishing Industry Faces the Growing Threat of Climate Change. Retrieved from 5280: https://www.5280.com/climate-change-is-coming-for-colorados-fly-fishing-industry/
Outdoor Foundation. (2022). 2022 Outdoor Participation Trends Report. Boulder.
Trout Unlimited. (2023). Conservation Areas. Retrieved from Trout Unlimited: https://www.tu.org/conservation/conservation-areas/
