The colors we find in fly tying literature are baffling to us today. Where, for example, did they come up with the term "blue dun" or "golden dun"?
Examining the dictionary definition of "dun" gives us a starting point.
"of a horse : having a grayish-yellow coat with black mane and tail" (Merriam-Webster Online)
The use of the term "blue dun" in fly tying predates the common use of the automobile. Needing a color description, it seems that the tiers turned to what would be most commonly understood and used horse colors as reference points. Thus, when documenting a fly pattern, "dun" would be broadly understood as being a "grayish-yellow." If in doubt, one only had to look out the window at horses going by in the street to understand the tier's intent.
Recently I submitted a petition for a rule change to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. This
change, should it be implemented, will radically alter the fishing - both in terms of technique and impact upon the fisheries - of a number of fine streams currently designated as "Fly Fishing Only" in this State. I hope
that the fly fishermen of NH will give it their support; however, I am also curious whether readers in other States and countries find the concept of "Traditional Fly Fishing Only" useful.
Of course, petitions do not necessarily resemble the final presentation to the public; nor the rule as implemented. However, the substance of the petition is as follows:
Petition for Adoption of Rules – New Rule for Fly Fishing Only Streams
Pursuant to RSA 541-A:4, the undersigned hereby petitions the State of
New Hampshire, Department of Fish and Game, to modify the regulations
for existing flowing waters currently designated as “Fly Fishing Only”
(FFO) to be upgraded to a new designation of “Traditional Fly Fishing
Only” (TFFO) and to add such additional waters as it determines may
benefit from the new designation.
In this brief, we will endeavor to present the myriad benefits of a
different approach to Fly Fishing Only than exists under our current
rules. Through Traditional Fly Fishing, as defined below, large
sections of many of our current FFO designated rivers and streams will
become sanctuaries for large trout - growing trophies and reducing the
need for intensive, and expensive, stocking.
The Concept of Trout Sanctuaries
Until 1991-1992, the FFO sections of New Hampshire rivers had a
conservation purpose that no other angling type presented. Because no
weight was allowed on line, leader, or fly, the trout in fast water or
deep pools never had the fly presented directly to them, it was always
passing overhead. Even with an intermediate line, the leader and fly
would seldom get deeper than six inches in fast water. Of course, in
some back eddies the fly might go deeper, but for the most part, large
trout had those waters as "sanctuaries". Lee Wulff, a former member of
the NH F&G Commission and renowned writer, defined and promoted
this concept of trout sanctuary in his book "Lee Wulff on Flies" (Stackpole, 1980):
“… we can break fly-fishing down into several classifications,
depending upon technique. The first classification is surface
fly-fishing, with floating lines and no weight of any kind, in the fly
or on the line. The second classification is intermediate fly-fishing,
in which weighted flies or sinking-tip fly lines are used, but no
attached weight, such as split-shot or sinkers. The third
classification is unlimited fly-fishing, in which lead-core sinking
lines, weights and sinkers, and weighted flies (and perhaps spinners)
are used.
Of the three classifications of fly-fishing, surface fly-fishing is the
most difficult way of taking trout and all the classifications of
fly-fishing are more difficult than spinning. With surface fly-fishing all the fish have to be brought to the surface for the lure, and all
the deep flowing water is sanctuary for the fish. Any trout caught by
surface fly-fishing leaves the sanctuary of its own volition, and
unless it leaves, it cannot be caught. This eliminates the drifting of
a lure right into the trout’s holding level and almost right into its
mouth, so that simple curiosity as much as hunger may cause it to mouth
the lure. The intermediate fly-fishing classification gives the angler
a greater advantage and allows him to drift his flies deeper in the
flow, where most of the feeding by the trout is done. The unlimited
fly-fishing classification lets an angler have maximum advantage,
allowing him to reach the fish at their holding level, and this is
particularly deadly on big fish.”
Thomas McGuane, an internationally famous outdoor writer and novelist, wrote in "Live Water" (Meadow Run Press, 1996):
“In a perfect world, fishing with split shot on the leader wouldn't be
fly fishing at all. Neither would monofilament nymphing and maybe even
shooting heads. Lee Wulff said that the fish is entitled to the
sanctuary of deep water. That's where most of us used to set the bar in
trout fishing. We fished on top and tried to devise ways of catching
big fish that way, fishing at night, fishing with greater stealth,
hunting remote places that rarely saw an angler.”
John Gierach, a modern writer on the subject of fly fishing and the author of many books, wrote in "Good Flies" (Lyons Press, 2002):
“I still do my share of dredging with weight on the leader – sometimes
lots of weight, as much as it takes – but in the past few years I’ve
tried to do it more sparingly. If there’s anything wrong with this kind
of nymph fishing, it’s that it can be too effective. Lee Wulff once
said that trout deserve the sanctuary of deep water, and I can’t help
thinking about that every time I nip three split shot onto my leader
and dredge up a fish that might have started rising in an hour or two
if I’d left him alone. Maybe there was a time when this didn’t make too
much difference, but with the crowds you now see on popular rivers –
not to mention the beat-up trout you sometimes catch – maybe the idea
of letting the fish hide, rest, or feed undisturbed from time to time
is worth thinking about.”
So, the concept of sanctuary for trout is neither new, nor logically
inconsistent as a practice beneficial to the growth and preservation of
large trout.
Benefits of Traditional Fly Fishing Only Designation
The introduction of Traditional Fly Fishing Only waters will have
sporting, practical, environmental, fiscal, and social benefits to the
State of New Hampshire. These include, but are not limited to:
Free advertising of New Hampshire waters in fishing magazines, journals, and the Internet as sportsmen explore and debate the concept of TFFO.
Fly shops will realize an increase in sales of flies and fly-tying materials that meet the criteria of TFFO.
Guide services will flourish as newcomers require guides to instruct them on casting and fishing in the traditional manner.
Spin fishermen will warmly accept the new regulations. The current FFO regulations allow the use of jigs (Clouser minnows, conehead Muddlers) and other weighted flies which are more safely and easily cast with spinning gear; thus fishermen using a spinning rod justifiably question the fairness of FFO rather than ALO. Since the flies used in Traditional Fly Fishing are too light to cast with spinning tackle, the equity of the new designation will be apparent.
Trout will grow larger in the safety of their “sanctuaries”.
The added cachet of TFFO will resonate with new fly fishermen and the similarity to the fishing prior to 1992 will be attractive to the old-timers.”
The Department of Fish and Game will save money in stocking, as the number of fish caught per angler day will be less, but the satisfaction with each catch will be greater.
The fishermen who adopt Traditional Fly Fishing methods will be possessive of their waters and will police them themselves, calling upon Conservation Officers as necessary. Thus no additional enforcement checks will be required.
Only FFO flowing waters need be altered to TFFO, as ponds and lakes would not realize the same benefits as rivers and streams.
Proposed Definitionsfor Traditional Fly Fishing Only Waters:
Artificial Fly for Traditional Fly Fishing
– In waters designated Traditional Fly Fishing Only, a fly shall be
constructed on a single hook with a single point dressed with any or
all of the following: feathers, fur, hairs, wool, cotton and other
grasses, silk, metal tinsel not greater in thickness than five
thousands of an inch, rayon or nylon thread or floss. Resin, gum, and
nitrocellulose varnishes and lacquers may be applied to the thread of
the fly. Epoxy and other synthetic adhesives may not be used. The hook
shall have no additional weight affixed, including but not limited to:
hooks, natural bait, molded weight, beads, coneheads, dumbbells,
spinners, spoons or similar devices.
Traditional Fly Fishing
- A technique for fishing where the weight of the line is used to cast
a very light-weight fly that would not be heavy enough to be cast with
a spinning or casting rod. No additional weight may be affixed to fly,
leader, or line. The line shall be either a floating fly line, or an
intermediate fly line with a sink rate of less than one inch per
second, to which a leader of Nylon or silkworm gut is affixed. The rod
shall be one designed for fly fishing and the reel shall be a
single-action fly reel. The fly shall conform to the definition of
Artificial Fly for Traditional Fly Fishing (above). No more than three
such flies individually attached to the leader may be used. Dropper
flies must be attached to the leader by Nylon or silkworm gut droppers
no less than eighteen inches apart.
Clearly, Traditional
Fly Fishing Only will bring attention to the finest fishing waters in
New Hampshire, both from resident fishermen and out-of-state anglers.
The additional challenge and prestige of catching trout under TFFO
conditions will increase angler count on the waters, but decrease
actual angling pressure on the fish.
The Petitioner thanks you for your thoughtful consideration of the above and looks forward to your response.
*********
Readers, let me know what you think, either by submitting a comment to this post or by email at reedc@overmywaders.com.
Thank you.
Until 1992, the "Fly Fishing Only" rivers and streams
in Maine and New Hampshire
had a conservation purpose that no other angling type presented. Because no
weight was allowed on line, leader, or fly, the trout holding in fast water or the bottoms of deep
pools seldom had the fly presented directly to them, it was always passing
overhead. Even with an intermediate line, the leader and fly would seldom get
deeper than six inches in fast water. Of course, in some back eddies the fly
might be drawn deeper, but for the most part, large trout had those waters as
"sanctuaries". Lee Wulff, a former member of the NH F&G
Commission and renowned writer, defined and promoted this concept of trout
sanctuary in his book "Lee Wulff on Flies" (Stackpole, 1980):
“… we can break
fly-fishing down into several classifications, depending upon technique. The first classification is surface fly-fishing,
with floating lines and no weight of any kind, in the fly or on the line. The
second classification is intermediate fly-fishing, in which weighted flies or
sinking-tip fly lines are used, but no attached weight, such as split-shot or
sinkers. The third classification is unlimited fly-fishing, in which lead-core
sinking lines, weights and sinkers, and weighted flies (and perhaps spinners)
are used.
Of the three classifications of fly-fishing, surface fly-fishing is the most
difficult way of taking trout and all the classifications of fly-fishing are
more difficult than spinning. With surface fly-fishing all the fish have to be brought to the surface for the lure, and all the deep flowing water is sanctuary
for the fish. Any trout caught by surface fly-fishing leaves the sanctuary of
its own volition, and unless it leaves, it cannot be caught. This eliminates
the drifting of a lure right into the trout’s holding level and almost right
into its mouth, so that simple curiosity as much as hunger may cause it to
mouth the lure. The intermediate fly-fishing classification gives the angler a
greater advantage and allows him to drift his flies deeper in the flow, where
most of the feeding by the trout is done. The unlimited fly-fishing
classification lets an angler have maximum advantage, allowing him to reach the
fish at their holding level, and this is particularly deadly on big fish.”
Is it possible that a fly as well-known, much-loved, and universally effective as the "Royal Wulff" could have a questionable past? Yes, not only possible, but probable. Many anglers believe that this paragon of dries was born, not from the imagination of Lee Wulff, as he claimed in later life, but through the work of others...but decide for yourself.
I have had the great pleasure to enjoy two creations that are near perfect for the purposes for which they were born - two angling journals that, through a combination of art and information, are a continual delight.
The first is a fly fishing magazine from Italy, unlike any bi-monthly fly fishing journal you may have seen, called "Sedge & Mayfly".
To properly appreciate this publication, I will lead you through it
using photos of an issue chosen at random. The photo quality doesn't do
justice to the original, but I trust it is sufficient to serve as a
temptation for the reader to explore further for himself.
The cover of a typical issue [Click on any of the thumbnails to see
a larger image.] Note the curious absence of phallic images - large
salmonids protruding from the crotches of impeccably coiffed,
meticulously dressed fly fishermen.
We hear of the joys of casting cane fly rods, and some even wax poetic about the sound of a silk line slipping through the guides, but many fly fishermen believe that cane rods and silk lines can't cast a long distance. Olaf Borge of Viroqua, Wisconsin (a.k.a., "The Silk Line Pimp") felt it was time to enlighten the new breed of fly fishermen to the tremendous casting abilities of the silk line/cane rod pairing.
Taking advantage of the Cane Rodmakers Gathering at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, Livingston Manor, NY on September 8th and 9th of this year, Olaf threw out a challenge to the assembled makers and cane enthusiasts to counter the challenge presented by the Cortland Line Co. (see 1st International Rodmakers and Casting Challenge Rules.)
Here were the rules:
Phoenix Silk fly line
Bamboo Rod Maker, casting, Challenge Trophy held
at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum
September 8th and 9th, 2007
Since Silk fly lines were, and often still are, the natural choice of cane rod fishermen; and since the plastic fly line provided for the “1st International Rodmakers and Casting Challenge” is named “SYLK” it would seem appropriate that a counter challenge should be offered by a true silk fly line manufacturer.
That challenge is to cast a true modern oiled-Silk fly line of the same AFTMA weight designation, further, under the same conditions, than the modern plastic “SYLK” line.
The rods used will be the bamboo rods selected for the “International Challenge Finals”. The casters and casting format will be the same as the “International Challenge Finals”.
Casters will use a Phoenix WF 5 silk fly line, with appropriate leader and fly, provided by Phoenix Silk Fly Lines and Olaf Borge.
The Phoenix silk fly line award will be presented to the caster, rod combination that casts the furthest in this endeavor.
And furthermore a Phoenix Silk Fly Line, of the winners choice, will be awarded to the rodmaker and caster combination who casts further than any rod cast with the “SYLK” fly line in this contest.
And now (drumroll) the results of the competition...
I am indebted to Peter D. of www.neoutdoorvoice.com for leading me to this film footage. I remember watching Ted Williams batting in Fenway Park when I was young - a Red Sox/Yankees game. Ted was no longer a "splinter" but, even at 41 he was a great ballplayer. I seem to recall Whitey Ford was pitching and Yogi Berra was catching for the Yankees - I didn't worry about the Red Sox lineup because I was a Yankees fan.
Here is the film. Get your popcorn and enjoy, it's about 28 minutes.
"The last fish I caught was with
a worm."—IZAAK WALTON.
A defective logic is the born fisherman's portion. He is a pattern of
inconsistency. He does the things which he ought not to do, and he
leaves undone the things which other people think he ought to do. He
observes the wind when he should be sowing, and he regards the clouds,
with temptation tugging familiarly at his heartstrings, when he might
be grasping the useful sickle. It is a wonder that there is so much
health in him. A sorrowing political economist remarked to me in early
boyhood, as a jolly red-bearded neighbor, followed by an abnormally fat
dog, sauntered past us for his nooning: "That man is the best carpenter
in town, but he will leave the most important job whenever he wants to
go fishing." I stared at the sinful carpenter, who swung along
leisurely in the May sunshine, keeping just ahead of his dog. To leave
one's job in order to go fishing! How illogical!
Fishing if I, a fisher, may protest,
Of pleasures is the sweetest, of sports the best,
Of exercises the most excellent,
Of recreations the most innocent,
But now the sport is marde, and wott ye why?
Fishes decreased, and fishers multiply.
You walk from the yellow glow of one lamp to the next, careful not to stray too far into the smoke. You can feel the room is crowded but the figures hunched at each table are barely discernible. Cries of anguish drift to you through the eddying smoke, the intensity of the sufferer's agony measured by the volume and length of their imprecations. Voices of the damned...for a moment all is quiet, then with the snap of a thread, a low grunt of profanity ripples forth.
It's another Wednesday evening fly tying session of the Andover Fly Fishers, circa 1962...
A wonderful admonition if Mr. Thoreau had been speaking of fly tying -- simplifying, eliminating the profound complexity of some of our established patterns. Take, for example, the fly once universally employed when fishing for Atlantic salmon. Until some enterprising soul had the audacity to replace the feather wing of a full-dress salmon fly, which might sport twenty different types of feathers from exotic fowl, with a simple hairwing of bear or squirrel, it was a given that salmon would only strike the gaudy betrayer.
Below are some salmon flies, hairwing flies from Maritime Canada surrounding a full-dress "Blue Doctor". All of them catch fish,and not just in North America, but in all the streams where Atlantic salmon swim. So, what did it take for the first Maritimer to "dress-down" a salmon fly? Did he sleep that night or toss about, torn by guilt for believing that the noble Salmo salar would roll to such a simple device?
[Click on image to magnify]
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