{"id":1448,"date":"2017-06-18T19:26:21","date_gmt":"2017-06-18T17:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rewildingdrum.com\/eng\/?p=1448"},"modified":"2018-01-10T21:39:18","modified_gmt":"2018-01-10T19:39:18","slug":"the-rewilding-lessons-of-fly-fishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rewildingdrum.com\/eng\/the-rewilding-lessons-of-fly-fishing\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rewilding Lessons of Fly Fishing"},"content":{"rendered":"

SHEER LUCK<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last Saturday I went fishing. No big deal, indeed. Many people fish, and hunter-gatherers have been doing it for thousands of years. But I was fortunate to learn fly fishing from a pro, Cl\u00e9ment Magos, who was willing to be my fishing coach. Cl\u00e9ment has been fly fishing in many different countries such as Belgium, France, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Ireland. I had tried some fishing during canoeing and hiking trips here and there, but all I caught on those trips must have been due to sheer luck rather than fishing skills. I had never taken the time to learn the necessary theoretical and practical basics of fishing.<\/p>\n

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FISHING AND HUNTING<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a rewilding coach exploring the modern hunter-gatherer lifestyle, I try to take as many steps as possible \u00a0on the path of gathering, fishing and hunting. I am currently mastering archery to be able to become a bowhunter in the near future, but I had not overlooked fishing. Here in Belgium, fishing is definitely easier to get started in than hunting. There\u2019s less required training, paperwork etc. Considering that hunting is done with a lethal weapon, these safety classes are kind of logical.<\/p>\n

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REWILDING IS A VERB<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early Saturday morning we went to Verviers (east of Belgium) to get the necessary permits, and then we headed off to\u00a0Chaudfontaine to fish on a river called the Vesdre. This place is normally about an hour\u2019s drive from where I live, but a tremendous traffic jam on the highway doubled our travel time. Remember, rewilding is a verb. You have to find your own way to rewild and look for opportunities to reconnect with nature. It is always possible if you\u2019re patient.<\/p>\n

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THE RIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

The water of the Vesdre has a high acidity (due to the\u00a0Hautes Fagnes<\/a>\u00a0bogs<\/a>), which made it historically very suitable for the textiles industry around Verviers. The Vesdre was the far-eastern end of the\u00a0Sillon Industriel<\/a>, the backbone of\u00a0Walloon<\/a>\u00a0industry. Nowadays, the river\u2019s water is mainly used as drinking water. French writer Victor Hugo once said. \u201cThe Vesdre Valley sometimes resembles a ravine, sometimes a garden, but always a paradise!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cl\u00e9ment who is not only a passionate fly fisher, but also a water and ecology specialist, assured me that the Vesdre had been managed well during the last decade. Once heavily polluted by industry, the many cleanup efforts of recent years have paid off. The water is clean and the fish population is healthy.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

CATCH AND RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fly fishing\u00a0is an\u00a0angling\u00a0method in which an artificial \u201cfly\u201d is used to catch\u00a0fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or \u201clure\u201d requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. Fly fishermen use\u00a0hand-tied flies\u00a0that resemble natural\u00a0invertebrates, baitfish, other food organisms, or \u201clures\u201d to provoke the fish to strike (bite at the fly).<\/p>\n

Cl\u00e9ment stayed by my side the whole day, teaching me how to cast, which fly to use, and what factors to take in consideration. And there are many factors: sun or clouds, outside temperature, water temperature, depth and current of the river. There are entire books written on this subject!<\/p>\n

The reward came late in the afternoon when I caught my first fish on a Belgian river. At our fishing spot the rule is to catch and release. This means you are not allowed to take your fish home. By law, you have to return it to the water immediately, so no fish for dinner that night.<\/p>\n

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REWILDING LESSONS LEARNED<\/strong><\/p>\n