As an angler I am always searching for tips and tricks to
improve my fly fishing. At the beginning of 2013 I picked up a copy of Entomology
for the Fly Fisher by Robert Younghanz, aka the Bug Guy, on a suggestion
from a friend. And having watched the complete program a couple of times and
working hard to learn basic entomology I can say that my fishing is improving,
well at least my bug identification.
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| www.The-Bug-Guy.com |
This DVD set starts with
a classroom session led by Mr. Younghanz, who besides being the consummate “Bug
Guy” is also a fishing guide out of Colorado Springs ,
CO
Without being overwhelming or having the viewer feel as
though they are sitting in a
college level entomology course, you learn in a very visual
manner what to look for when attempting to identify a particular order of fly.
That being said, I would suggest keeping paper and a pen handy as there are
copious amounts of information to digest and internalize. Even Mr., Younghanz
lets you know that there are levels of entomology that the average angler won’t
need but can ultimately help in identification.
Chapters are broken down into the life cycles of a range of
insects from midges to mayflies and everything in between. What I really
enjoyed was that each species life cycle is broken down so that no matter what
stage of development an insect is in, even a moron like myself can ID a
naturally occurring insect.
Now, in all honesty it did take me some time to completely
watch the entire first disc because I watched each chapter multiple times. But,
each time I reviewed a chapter I picked up a few new details. Once I did
complete Disc One my bug identification increased exponentially.
When the angler moves on to Disc Two: Streamside, they get a
very nice introduction to the tools common to entomology with suggestions for
equipment choices for the novice bug person/angler. After a thorough coverage
of the tools that the angler will find helpful in the collection of aquatic
insects and their subsequent identification Mr. Younghanz demonstrates common
collection techniques that every angler will use on a consistent basis as well
as some cool tidbits the will save you time and trouble in your collection
efforts.
Once the collection phase is complete, Mr. Younghanz spends
the remainder of the video picking bugs out of his recent gathering session and
points out each the physical characteristics that are found in regards to each
order. Pay close attention to the characteristics Mr. Younghanz points out as these will make the anglers
time on the river that much more productive.
Having finished watching this DVD
set and having used what I learned on the river, I can now say that I am a
better angler and guide because of it. And, if I were to teach a class on fly
fishing, this would definitely be one of the resources I would want my students
to watch during the class and also on their own as they continue to explore the
wonderful world we know as fly fishing.
For the beginning entomologist, beginning angler, and for
that matter the experienced angler, get this DVD
set and also visit Mr. Younghanz’s website The Bug Guy for lots more
information. If you are going to be attending the Fly Fishing Show in Denver
Jan 4-6, 2014 you might look
for him or if you plan on attending the International Sportsmen’s Expo at the Denver
Convention Center Jan 16-19, 2014 I would also suggest
trying to track him down.
