Fly Fishing Debauchery

by

Gene Macri

One of the reasons we fly fish is to get away from the political correctness of everyday life. I'm a bit sick and tired of both citizens and politicians trying to force their religious beliefs on our society. To put it bluntly most of the founding father's debauchery was well known. By the way most of them were Deists. They enjoyed life and they enjoyed freedom. That doesn't mean, as some say they believed in what is going on now politically. Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington all wanted the banks controlled. They knew what the banks had done in England and Europe and what they were going to do in America. But Americans are too stupid to really know anything about the country they live in!

But they had a lust for life and a lust for knowledge. Both Franklin and Jefferson were scientists for the most part. Jefferson actually wrote a discourse on the fishes of the Allegheny River system. In a roundabout way I'm now getting back to my main principle-debauchery! Fly fishing is about debauchery in some form. If you study the early fly fishers from Europe you will find they enjoyed life. Fly fishing was a part of contemplation and drinking! There seems to be something about a good glass of scotch and a good cigar while talking to friends on the stream, river, or lake. Fly fishing is about camaraderie. This camaraderie is often toasted with the finer elements of life from the grape or grains of life. Getting together with your friends and getting a little crazy seems to be part of our fly fishing heritage.

To those who do not wish to partake of such nectar's of the gods that's fine, but for the rest of us a bit of the bubbly and a good cigar talking about the day's trivial pursuits in our life and on the stream seem to go hand-in-hand. Izaak Walton said it best:" because no man is born an artist, no man is born angler. I thought fit to give the this notice." It's the journey that counts and the friends that you've made along the way. To toast these friends is part of the lore of fly fishing. I can remember many a day on many a stream when someone would pull out a flask, and we would sit and take in the bounties of nature and remember why we came to the stream in the first place.

So the next time you're out enjoying yourself a little bit remember those who have traveled this route. The famed Letort Regulars of which I belonged with the legendary Charlie Fox and other great fly anglers would always toast those who passed this way. Jack Hunter, our fearless leader would always read the list and we would hold our glasses high in remembering those who have fished with us and have now gone to another place. Some may call it debauchery but perhaps we just called the love of our fellow man. So I suggest you make a list and toast your friends both past and present the next time you are streamside!

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©2017 E. Macri