John Shaner - Catskill Classics, The Beaverkill and Willowemoc - MLFT Monthly Meeting
Schedule
Thu Feb 17 2022 at 06:30 pm to 09:00 pm
Location
Greater Plymouth Community Center | Plymouth Meeting, PA
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PLEASE NOTE, WE HAVE UPDATED THE START TIME OF THIS MEETING TO 6:30 PM. ALSO NOTE, ALTHOUGH WE ENCOURAGE ALL TO JOIN US LIVE (AFTER ALL, YOU GAIN THE MOST FROM THE CLUB BY IN PERSON ATTENDANCE [CAMERADERIE AND ABILITY TO TAKE PART IN THE ON-SIGHT RAFFLE....BE THERE FOR A CHANCE!]), IN ADDITION TO THE LIVE MEETING, WE WILL BE OFFERING LIVE STREAMING ON THE ZOOM PLATFORM FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PAID THEIR MEMBERSHIP FEE AHEAD OF THE DAY OF THE MEETING. A ZOOM LINK WILL BE PROVIDED TO ACTIVE MEMBERS. We will look at the history, lore, and fishing of two of the most famous of American trout streams.
Not only rich with tradition, these gems still offer anglers wonderful fishing in a magical setting.
We will discuss the pools, seasons, hatches, tactics and flies to make your visit to these wonderful rivers successful and fulfilling.
About the Presenter:
John Shaner has been an avid angler for as long as he can remember catching his first trout on a self-tied fly in 1965. He grew up on the shores of Skaneateles Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State and was fishing the Catskill Rivers as soon as he could drive.
The gift of a fly-tying kit when he was 8 set him on the road to becoming an avid fly tier. Although primarily self-taught, he has studied many different fly dressing techniques and have been privileged to have sat at the elbow of many famous fly tiers.
While I dress many different fly styles to suit the rivers he fishes, he especially enjoys reproducing and using traditional trout patterns. Following his passion for Catskill style dry flies came a focus on British wet flies in the past 25 years. His profound interest in “Spiders”, (Americans call them “Soft Hackles”) has resulted in his tying and fishing these simple, elegant, and deadly flies, a topic on which he has presented over the years at national and international fly fishing and tying shows. While he enjoys experimentation with new patterns, he identifies as a bit of a traditionalist in his use of materials and seldom incorporate synthetics into his flies, preferring to use natural silk, fur, and feathers.
He is a collector of classic fly tackle and angling books. His interest in tackle reflects his pursuit of free-rising trout and a love for fishing wet flies near the surface. His angling library is primarily focused on books detailing the development of trout flies and tying techniques but branches into many other aspects of fly fishing as well, especially the history and literature of the sport.
Over the years he has fished for trout across the US from Maine to Oregon, Michigan to New Mexico, and has made several trips to England to fish the famous Chalk Streams and other rivers. He holds a special love for Montana and Wyoming, and has lived in West Yellowstone, Montana for several years. His favorite rivers are The Beaverkill and West Branch of the Delaware in New York, the Firehole and Madison system in Yellowstone National Park, the spring creeks of Paradise Valley in Montana, and in England, the Itchen at Abbots Worthy in Hampshire, the Rivers Eamont and Eden in Cumbria, and the Wharfe in Yorkshire.
He has fished the Bahamas, Belize, and Florida for saltwater species.
John has been in the fly-fishing business since 1985 and has managed fly shops, guided, and worked as a sales representative for The Orvis Co. and Cortland Line. From 2008 until 2021 was associated with Hardy of Alnwick, England.
Now retired, he devotes his time to fishing, travel, and his book and tackle collections.
He is a member of The Anglers’ Club of New York, The Fly Fishers’ Club of London, The Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers, The Fly Fishers’ Club of Harrisburg, and the IFFF. He serves as a Trustee of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum.
He now resides in Deposit, NY in the Western Catskills, just 2 minutes from one of his favorite pools on the West Branch of the Delaware.
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Where is it happening?
Greater Plymouth Community Center, 2910 Jolly Rd, Plymouth Meeting, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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