Scientific Anglers

Gary Borger has been a fly fishing promoter and educator for over 40 years.  Combining Borger’s background as a biology professor and practical fly-fishing experience, we are presented a very comprehensive look at general trout fishing and a detailed overview of fishing dry flies.  Borger delivers his information in a relaxed, simple-to-follow way.  Some of the equipment may be dated, but the concepts presented are still totally valid today.

Released in 1983, Fly Fishing for Trout (https://youtu.be/7ILcNnRCseo) covers the basics of trout fishing in enough detail for anyone with rudimentary fly-fishing skills to watch and then head to the river with a significantly increased chance for success.  Borger gives a basic overview of entomology covering the 4 main aquatic insect groups (mayflies, caddis, stoneflies, midges) and their life cycles.  There is a good video of an emerging mayfly leading to an excellent discussion of matching the hatch.  He also shows and explains imitative and suggestive flies.  A key quote is, “Observation is one of the keys to success in fly fishing”.

Borger gives a good overview of basic casting – both overhead and roll casting.  A demo of the clinch knot is also presented.  He also gives a good review of tippet size in relation to hook size.  This is probably the hardest thing for beginners to learn.  We should note that multiplying the tippet size by 3 gives an approximate hook size for that tippet that we can vary up and down a size or two.  A great rule to still follow today.  There is also good demo of how to tie the Surgeons Knot to connect tippet to leader.

We also see how to locate trout in rivers by recognizing various lies.  Sheltering lies, feeding lies, and prime lies are shown and explained.  We see that prime lies will hold the most and biggest fish.  This is taken to the water initially by showing how to successfully fish a riffle using the “Shotgun” approach.   An important aspect of this is dividing a large riffle into a grid so you can cover it systematically and thoroughly.  Moving, fast water covers wading noise, so trout can be closely approached and casts can be kept short.

We can see this took place prior to the introduction and popularity of larger strike indicators for nymph fishing.  Borger only shows an indicator made by slipping a piece of hollow fly line over the leader.  Nothing reflecting further indicator designs is presented.  There is also little info presented about attaching weight to the leader to get it into deeper flows.  Instead, weighted nymphs are used.  We do see both wet-tip and full-sink lines used to sink nymphs deep and demonstrated in the Brooks method along with the “induced rise” technique.  Both of these are rarely mentioned anymore, but still sound methods and transition well to steelhead anglers.

Borger does give great info regarding line control on the upstream presentation for both nymph and dry fly fishing.  He also shares solid knowledge on how to hook, land, and release fish.  The discussion of how to recognize the different rises to various insects and stages of emergence is a key contribution in this video.  It would be good for most of us to watch this several times as a refresher to fishing dries.  

Several different ways to fish dries across currents are shown with various casts and mends to minimize drag.  This gives the ability to present dries to feeding fish in nearly any situation.   The viewer learns that drag on the fly is perhaps the single most important problem beginners have when fishing dries.  Controlling line on the water is a critical component to fish both dries and nymphs.

Borger gives a simple overview of fishing midges using suggestive imitations.  We see how to locate feeding lanes and recognize the stage the fish are feeding on.  Another method rarely mentioned these days, the “greased line technique”, is shown and we would be wise to store this for use in our fly-fishing memory banks.  

If there is any deficiency in this video, it would be the section of streamers.  But if we consider the timeline, we see that the “modern” era of streamer fishing was still almost 2 decades away.  Galloup & Linsenman did not publish Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout until 1999.   This book started the revolution in streamer fishing that continues to this day.    Borger does present the knowledge of the day showing the down and across presentation and working the fly through feeding lanes.  He also mentions adding split shot to the front of the fly to enhance motion and sink the fly deeper.  

All things considered; this video is well worth viewing.  The techniques presented are applicable to all trout waters and will be a great learning tool for beginners as well as a good review for the experienced trout angler.

Also from 1983, in Fishing the Dry Fly (https://youtu.be/qOLrlQDT2nE), Borger gives a more detailed overview of dry fly fishing for trout.  As we have seen in previous videos, the concepts presented are sound and still carry into fly fishing today.  In this video, we see Borger on the Madison River in Montana covering dry fly use in a fast-water situation.  He then transitions to one of the Paradise Valley spring creeks (looks like DePuys) and then the Henry’s Fork for dry flies on flat water.

Starting in fast-water situations, Borger methodically covers fishing dry flies in riffle areas and then pocket water.  Sheltering lies, feeding lies, and prime lies are discussed to help locate fish.  Watching for rise forms is ongoing.  Here the fly can generally be fished at some sort of an upstream angle.  Borger mentions “windows” that trout see through.  In fast water, these windows are blurry with wading noise being carried downstream.  Keep casts short- no more than 30 feet to minimize drag on the fly.

Borger emphasizes that “drag is the single most important factor when fishing dry flies.”  You can have the perfect fly to match hatching insects, but if the fly drags trout will not take it.  Lengthening the leader tippet is mentioned to help minimize drag.  The Puddle Cast and Pendulum Cast are demonstrated to help combat drag.  These casts are rarely presented in current dry fly discussions and are valuable tips in this video.  The use of reach mends and curve casts is well presented.

Fishing dry flies in pocket water is something that is not emphasized much anymore.  Currently it seems you have to fish a hatch, nymph with an indicator set up, or Euronymph in order to catch fish.  Much of the present focuses on the numbers of fish brought to hand rather than actually enjoying it.  Fishing attractor-style dries in pocket water is a pleasant and productive process and Borger reminds us of this.  Again, this predates the hopper/dropper technique which covers the best of both worlds here.

When fishing dries on flat water, Borger points out that this is fishing to rising trout, not fishing the water as can be done in riffles and pocket water.  He gives a thorough, but understandable discussion of the mayfly life cycle, along with caddis and midges.  An important aspect is lengthening the leader to 12’-15’ with a long (5’) tippet to minimize drag.  This leader adjustment can be very important, but is rarely mentioned anymore.

The down-and-across fly presentation is shown and is combined with reach mends and extra line mends to length the drag-free float.  Another important thing Borger tells us is that in this situation wait a moment and allow the fish to turn before setting the hook.  One should say, “I’ve got you now!” and then strike after the trout takes the fly.  This avoids pulling the fly away from the fish in this situation.

A short but interesting piece on mousing is included in the flat-water section.  This technique was rarely practiced back then and it was surprising to see it included.  Using a sink-tip line for this presentation is also curious to see, based on the way mousing is done today.

The brief discussion on stillwater fishing, is not really based on true lake fishing, but refers to wide sections in spring creeks.  It can also apply to beaver dams.  The key component mentioned here refers to identifying cruising lanes and waiting for the fish to come to the fly.  Cruising lanes refer to weed edges, deeper channels, and pockets or holes in weeds.  These are all areas that trout will move along or into in search of food.

In both Fly Fishing for Trout and Fishing the Dry Fly, we once again we see sound fundamental information presented in an understandable.  Borger’s instructions are clear, concise, and enjoyable to listen to.  It would be interesting to see these same videos filmed with today’s technology.  The content could be nearly identical with a few updates added, would be perfectly suited to today’s trout angler.

Scientific Anglers has partnered with the American Museum of Fly Fishing in the effort to digitize these classic film masters for future generations.