Lord Of The Flies

I've tried my hand at fishing off Bedok Jetty and from this rock called Sultan Shoal off our sunny island's southern coast, but I've never seen anyone do fly fishing before. So it was pretty interesting watching fisherman casting their lines into the Ausable River, a popular spot in the Adirondacks for fly fishing.

Spending the afternoon sneaking up on fishermen

Fly fishing is mostly used for catching trout and salmon. The main difference between normal fishing and fly fishing is that you don't use a sinker and bait for the latter. Instead, the fisherman attaches a lure (such as a feather or bit of plastic) at the end of his line that resembles well, flies (duh) or other tiny winged insects or larvae, to trick the fish into grabbing a quick meal that somehow fell from heaven and onto the water's surface. The fisherman repeatedly casts the line with light, flicking motions, creating constant little flickers of motion on the water. And because the line is not weighted, fishermen have to wade knee-deep (and sometimes up to their waist) into the river to cast their lines. That's why they're always dressed in spiffy suits that keep them dry (their galoshes are actually sewn into their pants to keep the water out!) and wear vests with lots of pockets, cos they don't have the luxury of sitting on the pier with their equipment by their side.

I read this on Wikipedia: " Some think people who call themselves "fly fisherman" can be elitist. There is a stereotype that fly fisherman look down on bait fisherman and others that haven't put in the time to become a skilled fly fisherman." That's fishing for Mr Uppity for you. Maybe they just don't like having their fingers reek of Eau de Prawn and the stench of dead fish used as bait in normal line fishing. I can't deny that there truly seems to be alot of skill involved in casting that fly though.

It was rather hypnotic watching them cast their lines again and again. Partly because I like following the glittering nylon string as it falls from the sky and lands in a curvy trail on the water. Also because I'm riding on their hope of getting a bite and on the look out for some action. Mostly because I marvel at their patience for doing the same thing over and over again, casting new hope with every flick of the arm.

How can they bring themselves to stop, I wonder. You'll always be thinking "one last try, one last try", in hope of landing a fish before you tear yourself away from the river. It's not that different from gambling and hoping that your last bet will be the lucky one!

Castaway!