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Fly Fishing sucumbs to Bass Enthusiasts
by Susan Allen, click here for bio

Program: Open Range
Date: November 05, 09

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Thrilling is when a rainbow trout rises to my fly. Spellbinding, is the brief moment I get to be up close and personal with the fish carefully removing the barb less hook, overcome at the trout’s beauty as I release it back to its underwater kingdom. I love fall fly fishing but I realize I am a now a minority and the majority, millions of Americans that pursue large mouth bass have weighted fish management scales in favor of bass. Bass fishing is big business. 30 million fishermen in this country spend beaucoup bucks on the variety of paraphernalia required to snag a large mouth bass. The popularity of bass and their impact on the fish and wildlife economy equate to the fact that bass are displacing trout in lakes traditionally considered trout habitat, like Davis Lake in Oregon’s, Cascades. And I find that sad. Once considered a premier trout fishery Davis is now one of Oregon’s best bass lakes. Trout purists want the lake returned to its original high Mountain habitat but are pitted against fisherman thrilled to snag a three pound bass. The odds don’t favor rainbow trout or those that consider fishing for them a form of art. Men like my grandfather, who lives on in my memory eternally fly fishing Oregon’s high cascade lakes under the shadow of Mt.Hood with a bamboo rod and woven basket defining the "true art" of fishing.