Fly Fishing Research Paper

The fishing (fly fishing and cast and reel) community of Western Montana , although rather loose-knit, still holds to be thrilling, open, and friendly. There is surprisingly a large number of issues that surface when you take an in-depth look into the community itself. The majority of them dwelling around pollution and the waterways. But no to mention the over-abundance of people fishing without the proper licenses or tags. As well as the seasonal fishermen that don’t read up on the catch-and-release laws for Montana.

In my opinion, there is nothing quit like fishing, whether you are participating the beautiful, articulate, practice of Fly Fishing with the ever-so-pleasing swoosh of the line. Or just simply spinning your lure out into the lake, hearing that satisfying “plop” of it hitting the water’s surface as the wind brushes gently again your face, bringing with it the fresh smell of the lake water and pine trees. To me, it is a very surreal experience. It has always been, ever since my uncle bought me my first fishing rod for my tenth birthday. I remember opening the gift and thinking to myself “what the heck am I going to do with this?” because neither of my parents nor any of my siblings were very accustomed to

the fishing or hunting lifestyle. But Uncle Russ took me out the next day, we went to the bridge in florence and walked up the shoreline a few miles. The experience of being taught all of the ropes and tricks involved with this sport was eye opening and created a whole new world for me, generating a massive slue of different possibilities that I could incorporate into my future. Learning how to fish at a young age taught me a grand spectrum of life lessons as well. I learned that patients truly is a virtue, and that if you keep trying without giving up good things are bound to come. I learned that there truly is a beauty in solitude, but also a comfort in companionship. Fishing has been a huge factor in leading me to become the man I am today, and I am indebted to it.
The loose, yet close-knit community of fishermen in Montana. I word it in a strange-way for a reason, because the community really is very loose knit. Thinking on it now and even doing my research I couldn’t find any real fishing organizations, clubs, or member-based activities to do with it. This is, of course, leaving out the fishing guides that work the waters here in Montana. I left them out of the “clubs and organizations” because guides are essentially just one member of the community teaching new-comers the ropes.
Now to the close-knit aspect.

I immediately gain a bit more respect for someone I pass by on the river if they have a set of Kayaking paddles or a Fishing rod in their hands. Nintey-nine percent of the fishermen that I’ve ran into, while either paddling, or just walking down a stretch of river are some of the joy filled, most motivated people I’ve ever known. Which is most likely because they see someone else with their rod and immediately feel a connection, in a sense you aren’t just strangers anymore, you are both formal members of the same community. Conversation always flows easy as the Bitterroot and hardly ever turns sour. This actually leads me into my next topic of discussion, one of the negative aspects of the fish and fishing

community.
About a week ago I was rowing my pontoon down the Bitterroot river heading North towards Missoula in the early evening. I had been on the water for a few hours, so I decided to stop at Bell Crossing (near Victor, MT) and stretch my legs by walking downstream a little bit. It was a truly beautiful day, one or two clouds in the sky, and the sun beaming down, cooking my skin with it’s ultra-violet rays. The percussion of my feet grinding against the rocks played beautifully in my ears as I made my way down the shoreline with my fishing rod in hand. I had been walking for about fifteen minutes when I saw the silhouette of another human through the sun’s mirages off of the sand. This person was heading upstream, so, evidently we ended up running into each other. The man looked to be in his mid to late fifties with a large beard, he immediately registered the fact that I was a fellow fisherman and gave me a big grin.
“How are they biting?” I asked, genuinely interested and sparking up a conversation. He gave me the general run-down that we hear all the time, telling me that some rainbow have been biting on to the eggs he sunk. (‘Eggs’ are a kind of lure that represent fish eggs, meant for catching larger trout.) I point out the fact that he didn’t have any fish with him, nor even a basket for keeping them. He laughed and said “Son, it’s the Lord’s day, it’s not my job to do any killing.” We talked small talk for about ten or fifteen minutes until I mentioned the illegal introduction of the small-mouthed bass into the Seely lake area. This has increasing interest to me as an aspiring Fish and Game Warden. At the mention of this, a shady look crossed over his face and we delved into a lengthy discussion.
The illegal and dangerous introduction of invasive fish into Montana’s water systems. This is referring to non-local fish that are “dumped” into our river systems and lakes without lawful permission. The people that do this are often referred to as “Anglers” by the fishing and law enforcement communities. Examples of illegal fish that have been introduced over years include Northern Pike, Wall Eye, and some Lake Trout. This differs from actually biologists who introduce certain species that will actually benefit to the environment, unlike the “dumping biologists” that just dump in fish that they would like to fish for more locally. These invasive species often times will deplete or even kill off one of the natural groups of fish, leading to crazy amounts of change in Montana’s eco systems. Not to mention the new diseases, illnesses, and the interbreeding that is bound to happen. The Small-Mouth bass that were illegally introduced to the Seeley waters have already shown to be very aggressive and have been competing with and eating the west slope, Native Cutthroat. I believe that the Fish and Parks should be more adamant about actually catching and stopping these Anglers.
There are problems that need to be addressed and figured out in Western Montana’s fishing community, but overall the people and the actual experiences are very uplifting and fun.