| Urban Angler |
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| Sunday, 16 July 2006 | |
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For most fly fishers, the thought of getting away to a gin-clear stream, up in the mountains, away from civilization, is what they know and desire. They long for the fog on the water, masking the rising sun. They listen for the kingfishers through the gray still of the cool morning. The sound of birds waking up, the cool, wet air and the rush of a cold trout stream seems to put them at ease. I too, often desire this feeling and, as most, don’t seem to get enough of it. Monday through Friday is reserved for work and the weekends are often reserved for activities other than fishing. An article I wrote several years ago mentioned taking a mini-vacation by keeping a rod and a box of flies in your vehicle and fishing on your way home. You could fish after work, before work or at lunchtime, depending on your schedule. I decided to take my own advice and I have now become a true urban angler. What is an urban angler? Where do you meet and how does one become an urban angler? Is there special equipment and how much are the dues for this unique club? I define an urban angler as a fly fisher who loves to fish and would like to do it as often as possible, but can’t get to a mountain trout stream in a short period of time. This eclectic organization meets at any location that may or may not have fish. No special equipment is needed, what you have already will do nicely. The dues… sometimes they can be stiff. Keep in mind the following: You don’t have to drive 2-4 hours just to fly fish. You can go several times a week, including daily trips after work or on your way home from dropping off the kids at a friend’s house. You get to practice your casting and keep your form, so you don’t slap the water in front of other fly fishers. You learn new techniques that will improve your overall fly fishing ability and success. You can take a break from tying dozens of #20 flies and tie bigger bass and bream flies. You get to keep spending money to buy more gear. Moving to an area surrounded by lakes, streams and other waters has made me a true urban angler. Deb and I live on Chickamauga Lake and the Tennessee River runs right through town. There are countless streams that feed into the lakes and rivers of the area. I can drive less than five minutes and be wetting a line somewhere nearby. Being in a city or metropolitan area should not stop you. Shelby County has countless parks with ponds, rivers, streams and lakes. You probably will not catch trout, but if you can’t get to a trout stream, anything pulling on the end of the fly line is a welcome surprise. I think we are all guilty of driving over bridges with a small stream under it and saying “someday, I ought to try to fish there…” Sound familiar? What about that pond on the golf course? Well, today is the day. Go fish. Unless you are aware of ten pound bass in a local pond (and if you are, PLEASE let me know where you are fishing), you can probably get away with using a 4- to 6-weight rod. These rods will do just fine for catching bream, bass and many other species common to streams. Poppers and woolly buggers will probably be the flies of choice. Dues. These will vary depending on your location. Smaller dues are the hot weather, sunburned neck from an afternoon of fishing, and a sore arm from catching so many bream. The middle range of dues includes scrapes, twisted ankles from hopping across rocks, and breaking off a big fish. Larger dues include snakebite, frostbite, a hook in the finger or hand, and watching helplessly as a HUGE fish snaps your tippet like thread. Unfortunately, dues are mandatory. -Robert Prytula |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 16 July 2006 ) |
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