Mix equal parts science, art, nature and sport with liberal doses of contemplation, jubilation and frustration and
you’ve got a recipe for the pastime of fly fishing. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented
by DuPont. Right now it’s the height of the fly fishing season in New York’s Catskill Mountains, home to some of
the finest trout streams in the world.
“When you start fishing, you don’t begin immediately casting. In fly fishing, you want to observe the water to
see what flies might be hatching, maybe turn over a stone or two and see what’s under the rocks, what’s about
to hatch, the nymphs crawling under the rocks and take stock of what’s going on. Maybe you see a fish rising
and you pick a place where you can stand and deliver the fly, and also from which you cannot be seen by the
fish.”
Austin Mac Francis is the author of Land of Little Rivers — the Story of Catskill Fly Fishing.
“Jim, if you will look up the river there, you will see the long, flat pool and at the tail of the pool, the downstream
part of it, frequently the trout will lie right there. Alright, here it comes downstream, comes down, here he
comes. Ha, he took it. O.K., alright, nice little fish. Must be about a ten-inch brown trout. Here it comes in. Now
you want to play him gently. Bring him around the rock here. Mostly now I don’t use a net, we want to release
the fish and let it go back, catch it another day.”
Please visit our web site at nationalgeographic.com. Pulse of the Planet is presented by DuPont, bringing you
the miracles of science, with additional support provided by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.