Feeding behavior. The blood knot. The double haul.
They're all part of what may be one of the most
interdisciplinary offerings at the College: a low-key, non-credit class in
fly fishing.
Fly fishing covers a range of disciplines – biology,
physics, literature to name a few — says Prof. Peter Tobiessen, who
organized the course at the urging of students who discovered his passion
during faculty introductions last fall.
The course, which nicely fosters faculty-student
interaction outside the classroom, has been funded by the IEG.
Each week, up to a dozen students (mostly male) tie
flies, learn about insect and fish biology, and practice their casting.
Local waters, still swollen from snowmelt, are too cold for the fish to
feed. But in a few weeks, the fish – and the students – will be ready,
says Tobiessen, who with Tom Werner and other faculty has long been
visiting area fishing holes.
Even parents are getting into the act. Visiting
instructors have included Mike Newell '74 (father of Jeremy '00, Sarah
'02 and Jessica '99), who taught fly-tying. Next up is Howard
Bartholomew (father of Alex '00), who will demonstrate bamboo rod
building.
The group meets Mondays at 7 p.m. in S105, one of the
biology labs. Contact Tobiessen at tobiessp@union.edu to learn more.