Fly Fishing Poems

Fly fishing has been a form of sport that had been enjoyed by millions even in the distant past. The history of fly fishing indicates that it has been in practice since the 13th century. Some German texts mention this date as the one from which fishing for trout and grayling was done using a “feathered hook” called a “vederanglel” in today's terminology. There have hence been a lot of fly fishing poems composed on the sport. This sport was practiced with a level of proficiency. The poems of those times seem to have been lost but their mention still remains in many texts.

The fly fishing poems of modern days have been composed by the ardent anglers who make it a point to travel all the way to a lake everyday to get a great catch. There are prime examples of these poets including George W. Harvey, William Sherwood Fox, John Gay and many others. These fly fishing poems used to appear in the Fly Fishing magazines that have, in the past few years, decreased in popularity and hence reduced in circulation.

In their prime days, these magazines had been the hallmark of all the fly fishing expeditions ever. Now that they have been transferred to the internet they have duly lost their glory. To get back to their content, they used to have the most amazing fly fishing tips that could ever be imagined. The fly fishing sport had never been so professionalized since then.

Here are a few tips that these magazines used to give its readers. These were mostly professional tips and the beginners had their own separate magazine. These poems mirror even the greatest of philosophies of all times. One poem by John Gay gives the message of using feathered hooks to fly fish and not live worms or insects. There are many other poems that capture the spirit of fly fishing to the utmost. These poems also give the reader great tips about the lake, the style of fishing, the rod, reel and bait used, the method of casting and innumerable other things that can improve your chances of a catch a lot.

Some of the fly fishing poems are so accurate in their description that it is amazing to see the exact same thing standing in front your eyes that you had visualized when you first read the poem. Some of the poems are written in Archaic English and are lovely to read. There is a poem by George Harvey that describes the way he got the fish. The way he stood, the way he cast the line, the way he tugged at it and all the other intricate details of his movements and actions. This poem not only has a perfect rhyme scheme but can also be a guide to fly fishing!

Fly fishing is a sport that has indeed inspired a lot of fly fishing poems. This sport is a relaxing and challenging sport. The time that you wait for to get a catch can be utilized to spur your poetic senses and compose a poem that describes the scene, the weather or the fish hook! There are many ways through which you can spend the time on a Sunday, but nothing does it like fly fishing.

Here are a few Fly Fishing Poems for you to enjoy!
 

Around the steel no tortur'd worm shall twine, No blood of living insect stain my line; Le me, less cruel, cast feathered hook, With pliant rod athwart the pebbled brook, Silent along the mazy margin stray, And with fur-wrought fly delude the pray.

~by John Gay in Rural Sports, 1720~

We ask a simple question
And that is all we wish:
Are fishermen all liars?
Or do only liars fish?

~by William Sherwood Fox, Silken Lines and Silver Hooks, 1954~

At early dawn when the air is crisp
And you're standing knee deep in a beautiful rip
You see a trout rise to an unknown fly
Then your heart starts to thump and you wonder why
You're a neophyte fly fisherman.
You can measure the cast and study the lie
Then lengthen the line to make your first try
As you check the rod to get a good presentation
You hold your breath in solemn anticipation
You must be a fly fisherman!
The fly floats gently on its way to the trout
You know it will "take it" without a doubt.
You're all charged up and ready to strike
But the fly floats by because something's not right
You are still a fly fisherman.
You open your fly box and select a new fly
Then lengthen the tippet before the next try
Change your position to help with the cast
And hope you have made the right decision at last
Now you are a doubtful fly fisherman.

~by George W. Harvey, A Fly Fisherman (first 20 lines),  in "Fly Fisherman" magazine, December, 2002~

You wait a moment to settle your nerves
Then make your cast with a right hand curve
The fly settles down and the float looked good
But the trout refused it and there you stood
A dejected fly fisherman.
You looked things over and were not yet beat
Then changed flies again and were ready to repeat
The next try was poor because you rushed the cast
You hold your breath in solemn anticipation
You must be a fly fisherman!
The fly floats gently on its way to the trout
You know it will "take it" without a doubt.
You're all charged up and ready to strike
But the fly floats by because something's not right
You are still a fly fisherman.
You open your fly box and select a new fly
Then lengthen the tippet before the next try
Change your position to help with the cast
And hope you have made the right decision at last
Now you are a doubtful fly fisherman.

~by George W. Harvey, A Fly Fisherman (last 20 lines), in "Fly Fisherman" magazine, December, 2002~