VALLEY FORGE TROUT UNLIMITED By Mary Kuss have been obvious that my gifts lay The Scientific Angler 1 There has always been a strong desire elsewhere. I muddled through, though, and Notes from the Prez among some anglers to apply science to fly emerged clutching my B. S. degree. fishing. Heck, there’s even a company The Confidence Fly 4 As I learned, grew, and developed as a fly that’s been around for a long time called fisher, my interest in science inevitably Environmental Update 5 “Scientific Anglers.” As the years have influenced my pursuit of the sport. In the passed, I’ve come to feel that art plays a far Project Healing Waters early years of my fly fishing experience I 7 greater role in fly fishing than science does, Lantern Fly Update kept an extremely detailed and methodical although elements of science obviously record of every single fishing outing. I Father and Son’s Stream Trip 8 come into play. wrapped up each season with a statistical Ponding at the Magic Tree 10 Even in childhood I had a strong scientific analysis of where and when I fished, bent, at various times wanting to grow up to weather and water conditions, what flies I Names, Numbers & Email 11 be a doctor, a veterinarian, or a marine used, and what fish I caught. I’m not going biologist. When it was time to go off to to say that was a waste of time, it was college, there was no doubt in my mind that useful in helping me to discern patterns in my major area of study would be biology. I my fishing and apply the lessons learned. never even considered anything else. With But I would never do anything like it again. The December 10th annual hindsight, that might have been a mistake. If you delve into the fly fishing literature meeting will be held on-line Although biology was my greatest interest, you’ll find that there have been many starting at 7:30 pm. it was very difficult to get through the “hard Go to www.valleyforgetu.org science” course requirements. It should (Continued on page 2) for details on how to join the meeting. By Pete Hughes the film series online. All proceeds from the Election of officers and board With a Little Help from Our regional airing of this event, including members, a vote on adopting Friends money made on the raffles, are donated to amended bylaws, and the regional TU chapters. And, VFTU has Clean Streams 2020 raffle Valley Forge TU is indeed fortunate to have benefited quite nicely. A very big thank you good friends – our members, some prize drawing will take place goes to Carter for the long volunteer hours during the December annual governmental organizations such as the PA he spent putting this fundraiser together for Fish & Boat Commission, some elected and the third consecutive year. Plus, the films meeting. There will also be a appointed township provide great entertainment, as anyone who guest speaker. Don’t miss it! officials, and some signed up and watched them can attest. commercial BankNotes is available online organizations, both Orvis, no stranger to helping TU, held its at www.valleyforgetu.org local and national. “Giveback Days” event in September. Folks Two recent were able to donate $10 when they made a contributions from purchase and Orvis reduced the purchase our friends merit price by the amount of the donation. Our friends at Orvis Downingtown selected Pete Hughes highlighting. VFTU to receive the donations this year. Carter Satterfield We are very grateful to Joan, Dan, Chris managed to pull off the Fly Fishing Film and the folks at the shop for this Tour in our neck of the woods, finding a contribution to the cause. way around Covid-19 restrictions to host (Continued on page 3) The Scientific Angler (Continued from page 1) covered the first two. The third derives enthusiastically even though the naturals attempts to apply science to the sport, simply from my long association with the were quickly declining in numbers. The presumably to render it predictable and sport. I’ve always been a book lover, and at CW says that this is because once fish get controllable to some extent. Thankfully that one point my personal angling library accustomed to seeing and feeding on a endeavor has largely failed. If fly fishing overflowed two large bookshelves. I’ve particular food item they will continue to were ever subject to human control, and been downsizing, however, and have accept imitations of it for some time after success guaranteed, we would soon become resolved that my fishing books must fit on the naturals disappear. This happens with bored with it. The romance and mystery those two units. All of that book learning, various aquatic insect hatches. It also that give the sport its unique charm would plus nearly forty years of working in the fly occurs with terrestrial insects like ants, be lost. fishing industry as an instructor, guide, and beetles, wasps—and presumably retail clerk has baked a lot of knowledge Lanternflies. After weeks or months of We needn’t worry about that. Fly fishing and experience into my brain. seeing a particular insect in the drift, fish will never be reduced to a science. It will happily pick off stragglers and take involves far too many uncontrollable The 2020 fishing season, in the year of imitations even after the first few frosts variables. The sport takes place in an Covid-19, has not been a good or even have killed off most of them. extremely complex and diverse typical fishing season for me. The biggest environment of almost infinite variability. excitement I’ve had was the presence of Chris remarked on the aggressive manner in Henry David Thoreau once said that no Spotted Lanternflies on my home stream. which the fish took the artificial Lanternfly. man ever steps into the same river twice, The vegetation along the Darby Creek I opined that perhaps they were responding because it’s not the same man and it’s not stream corridor is rich in wild grape vines, on two levels. First, although the artificial the same river. Case closed. a favorite food of the Lanternflies. Early in is not terribly realistic in appearance I the emergence the little black nymphs, designed it to hit what seemed to me to be a I know very well that any attempts I make sprinkled with white polka-dots, were few key triggers. That effort seems to have to analyze and explain what I observe while everywhere. The water surface was succeeded. Secondly, there is the generic fishing are mere conjecture and inference. peppered with them, but if the fish were predatory reaction. Although Lanternflies Yet my natural tendency is still to look at eating them I didn’t notice it. Perhaps the that fall into the stream do not behave in fly fishing through the lens of science. sheer quantity of them simply overwhelmed this way, I like to fish my imitation with Every once in a while I find success with the feeding response. some motion. Science frowns on one of my theories—just often enough that anthropomorphism, the attribution of I continue concocting them. Karma keeps With the passage of time, however, the human feelings and emotions to animals of me humble, however. Sometimes an brood was progressively reduced in any kind. However, it’s often easiest for us angling friend will hit upon the solution to a numbers. By the time the fully-developed to understand animal behavior in those problem that had confounded me. I slap my adults appeared the Lanternflies were big terms. When a fish sees a prey item that forehead and ask, “Now why didn’t I think enough and few enough that you could appears capable of escape, it sometimes of that?” Or I’ll ignore clues that are right watch an adult float down the stream and seems to be thinking the piscine equivalent in front of me, only to grasp their meaning very consistently get eaten before drifting of “Quick! Grab it before it gets away!” much later. These are all ways of learning out of sight. It was only then that I by experience. The late Gary LaFontaine, developed and started using a successful fly Finally, Chris observed that the Fallfish she who I admired tremendously, was a big fan pattern. It’s a very simple, minimalist fly caught on the Lanternfly fought particularly of empirical evidence. That’s enough for that works like a charm and should do so hard and were even more squirmy and me. for a while yet—until the game is called on uncooperative than usual as she tried to account of cold weather. I’d like to think unhook and release them. I again resorted As the years have passed I’ve come to that I’ve applied a nice mix of art and to the CW in explaining that in early- realize that the more I know about fly science in this endeavor. autumn, as water temperatures drop, fish fishing, the more I realize that there’s far usually feed more actively and become more I don’t know and never will. At times, Recently Chris Gados, a friend of mine who feistier. This may be partially due to higher I have the strong and somewhat unnerving happens to be editor of A Woman’s Angle, dissolved oxygen levels in the water. feeling that something new I’ve just the Delaware Valley Women’s Fly Fishing discovered is actually something I knew in Association newsletter, had some success Many anglers also believe that fish the past but had forgotten.