The Mad Scientist v. the Secret Fly Tyer #14

In my last blog, I talked about one particular type of fisherman. There, of course, are many types, but the obvious opposite is the secret don’t tell anybody anything fisherman. This type shares absolutely nothing of value with anyone, and I mean nothing. They are extremely polished in avoiding particular questions, and are really good at changing the subject.  They will not tell you where they fish, what they caught, if anything, and what they used for a fly. They are often referred to as the “Secret Fisherman.”

                When I started to think about what I was going to write for this week’s blog, I had a vision of a “Mad Scientist.”  Remember them; they were the people who had a room in their basement full of test tubes and electronic gadgets. They were always alone and did not welcome visitors. They were always thinking and probing to develop the next best thing. They worked late into the night and often, they worked on rainy stormy nights with lots of lightning. They talked to themselves constantly, and often answered their own questions. When I thought about it, I immediately thought about a particular type of fisherman that resembled the mad scientist to a tee. If you drill down below the secret fisherman, you get….” THE SECRET FLY TYER.”

                Now, I know through experience that fly tyers are a very unique and particular breed.  They are always looking for the next best fly that will catch the biggest fish.  They spend nights, weekends and months on end in their basement or work shop surrounded by feathers, dubbing, yarn and thread. Generally, they tie alone in secret. If someone comes to visit, they quickly hide what they are tying. They tend to go to sporting goods stores and automatically go to the fly counter and then the book section. They think they are being sneaky as they pick up some of the different flies and check the patterns out. Some have photographic minds and can look at a fly and then go back to their workshops and not only try to tie it, but tie it better. After going to the fly counter they can be found in the book section looking over the fly tying books for patterns. They will occasionally buy one or two, but most generally, they will have brought a small pad of paper and a pen that can be secluded in their pockets. Once they find a fly they like, they copy the pattern on the paper and take it back to analyze.  ARE YOU SEEING A PATTERN HERE?

                The other way that the secret fisherman uses to get intel on what flies are working is called catch and imitate.  This method involves the art of fishing on a pond. Very few items are needed for this experiment. They bring a fly rod to cover their actions and a couple of small plastic bottles tucked away in their packs. If you watch them closely, they are fishing, but their minds are clearly not with the rod. They are scanning the water to see what is landing and what the fish are rising for. When they see a bug on the water that the fish seem to like, they pull out their little container, grab the bug and quickly put it in the container. They carefully put the container in their pack and cunningly look over their shoulder to see if you are looking. But they never say a word about what they have done. Once the fishing is over, they go back to their workshop and try to tie a fly that imitates the bug.

                The trick with these folks is to try to keep them engaged in conversation all the time keeping a keen eye on what they are doing and what they are using for flies. You can generally get a good idea when the fly whips by your ear. But the best time to look is when they are picking up that bug on the water to put it in their container. They are so tuned into that, that they drop their guard, all be it just for a minute.  If you are quick, you might just get a glimpse at the fly.

                Although not as secret as the secret fly tyer, I have to confess that I do engage in a couple of the actions that have been described today. I do go directly to the fly counter and then to the book section. And I do tend to keep a watchful eye on the water and what bugs are landing and being eaten by the fish. I will, however from time to time tell you what I have tied and what is working. And, yes, I do have a workshop in my basement where I tend to spend time at night designing and tying the next best fly. Judging from the last two fishing trips TC and I have taken, I might just have hit the jackpot. That is especially true for TC who has caught her limit on both occasions.

                I often get emails from folks telling me about their trips and travels and I really appreciate that. I am going to add a segment at the end of my blog entitled, From the Inbox where I will share some of the comments and photos that you have sent me. Mind you, I will not share any photos unless you have approved.

FROM THE INBOX       

This week, I heard from a couple of you who told me that you do know someone who resembles the fisherman in my last bog. I had to chuckle at a couple of the descriptions you gave me. I also got an email from someone who told me that they had been fishing with their son last weekend and they did really well. They sent me a photo of the fish they caught. As I understand it, Ben, who is in the photo had a great day on the water with his dad. Ben is just learning the ins and outs of fly fishing and his dad tells me that he would cast, give the pole to Ben and Ben would do the rest.  Judging from the photo, Ben, you are on your way to mastering the art. Good Job and nice fish!