The Fly Is Up

The plop as a trout rises and takes a newly-hatched fly on the surface, the splash as another trout leaps clear of the water in its enthusiasm to grab a fly. The surface of the river covered in the rings of rising fish is a sight to stir the heart of any fly fisherman. For many this is the epitome of the sport. The most prolific rises prove irresistible to anglers, disrupting otherwise responsible lives, and in some cases causing them to cross continents in their haste to reach the water and fish the hatch. As they tie-on a suitable fly, many anglers will mutter a silent prayer that the hatch will continue long enough for them to catch a fish or two. The story of the comings and goings of the Grannom show how sensitive wildlife is to man’s management of rivers and the destruction of the Shannon Rise demonstrates how man can create and then destroy habitat that was ideal for a particular species of fly. The book is more than the story of three famous fly hatches. It is a story of man’s inter-action with the natural environment, for good and bad.