FlyTalk

No I'm not making this up. See for yourself: according to this press release from the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association, the Swiss government is going to ban the practice of catch-and-release fishing. Concurrently, regulations will outlaw the use of barbed hooks and bait. Huh?

Wait, I'm not done, this gets even nuttier. The law will outlaw fishing "with the intent to release fish." Anglers must undergo mandatory training on the "humane" treatment of caught fish, and learn how to kill fish via a sharp blow to the head with a blunt object. Huh?

Does that include juvenile/undersized fish? Oh wait, there won't be any left in Swiss waters to worry about. I wonder how the PETA folks will spin this.

Have you ever heard of such an absurd notion? Switzerland should stick to watches, chocolate, and guarding the Pope. I find it sadly ironic that the first war the Swiss government would declare in many years would be on fish.

Deeter

"There is no dumber fish on earth than a yearling bass."

I didn't say it. My dear friend, Charlie Meyers, outdoors editor for the Denver Post did. Got me scratching my head and wondering about which fish are indeed the dumbest in the world. Hatchery-raised trout must be up there ... blitzing stripers would probably eat a Coke bottle if you threw it in the right spot ... bluegills are pretty easy ... and you can talk about your wild cutthroats all you want; those that haven't seen a fly are suckers for just about anything. Having seen a mako shark get stuck three times with the same fly, and then come back to eat it again, had me consider putting makos on the list. But then I decided they were just bad-ass.

What do you think? What fish is the "anti-permit?" The more I kick it around, the more I agree with Charlie. Sorry bass nation. But those young bucketmouths are just plain stupid. Not 'ol mama bass. The young ones. Say "dumb bass" fast enough, and it all makes sense...

Deeter

I spent a great day on the river with my friend Dave Maynard ... water was high and dirty, but we still caught our share. We were in that zone where we knew conditions were tough ... so what happened, happened, and how it happened was most important. The how days are my favorites now.

What defines a good day on the river for you? How many fish you catch, how you hook 'em, or how they eat? In other words, would you trade 25 landed fish on nymphs for 5 classic "eats" on dries? Would you rather rip streamers and get bit a few times (with dramatic effect), or is success ultimately measured by the number of fish you put in the net?

Deeter

I'm proud to introduce you to young writer/angler William Salazar, who is a sophomore in high school in Helotes, Texas. He had a class assignment to write a story for a magazine editor. He found me. Here's his work:

"My numbed feet battled against the relentless current and clumsily collided with trickily placed rocks in the river. I stared up into the glaring sun to see the Navajo Dam which resided on the San Juan River in New Mexico on the Community of the Navajos. It supplied a shockingly cold stream of water from below the dam which stayed at a constant temperature of 42EF year-round, a haven for trout and dream spot of any angler. Our guide had led us through a jungle of tall weeds and trees, giving a fisherman the impression that surely no fish could live here, until he emerged from the canopy of overgrowth into sunlight and open water.

The water flowed dreamily over the rocks, so clear that it appeared as if there was no water at all ... only air between you and the bottom. The blazing sun clashed with the frigid water, which provided comfort from the hot summer day. We made our way across the river to the opposite bank where Chris, our guide, set up our poles with his self made flies, barely visible to the human eye. Two flies were rigged about a foot of space between them and a small indicator three feet above those. I set up right above where the river began to curve and tossed my line upstream waiting for the fly to make its way back to me before flipping the line back behind it. After four or so tries I managed to bring in a sixteen-inch rainbow trout. My pole flexibly bent until the tip flirted with the water, I brought the reel close to me and positioned it parallel with my body trying to keep the pole up. For not being the biggest fish the trout still manages to put up a commendable fight, craved by those who know the feeling. After a light lunch we headed down river where the water moved a bit slower and was much more calm. There our guide set up my older brother, who was an outdoorsman to the bone and hardcore fisherman, in what he said was the best spot, because he had yet to catch a fish. My brother, who almost always outfished me, was filled with jealousy until finally he caught a fish. At first he seemed to have trouble adjusting from his previous bass and salt water fishing experiences but eventually he caught on.

Even when we weren’t catching fish it was still enjoyable; all of the beautiful scenery and majestic wildlife kept our attention the whole time. Now, New Mexico isn’t really the first place you think of when it comes to flyfishing but, hopefully, people’s views will change once they experience it for themselves. The surroundings were breathtaking, the fishing amazing, and the experience, unforgettable."

Sophomore? Keep on it William. We need guys like you writing and fishing... and I hope you get an A.
Deeter

A summary of a Southwick study on angler preferences released yesterday noted that the number one fly rod brand in America is Orvis ... and the number one fly line brand is Scientific Anglers.

Question: What do you think is the most recognized and popular fly in the world? Name the fly pattern, in the exact size and color, and tell me roughly how many thousand dozen of those flies are shipped out from Umpqua Feather Merchants to fly shops every year, and I'll send the closest guesser a WF6F fly line.

Deeter