As the founder of FlyFishFinder™, I’m excited to share insights and impact gleaned from two legends of the sport, George Daniel and Joe Humphreys on fly fishing as its changed over time. Our team, including our Sales and Marketing leader Christian Bacasa, has extensively researched these remarkable anglers and their impact on the fly fishing community. FlyFishFinder is a modern tool developed as the first tool built completely and 100% devoted to the fly community. We aspire for this tool to allow anglers to educate themselves through others via the app. This manifests in making connections and fly fishing with other people that you meet through the platform, just like the mentorship showcased through the years with Joe Humphreys and George Daniel.
George Daniel and Joe Humphreys exemplify the power of mentorship in fly fishing. Their relationship, spanning decades, showcases how knowledge and skills are passed down through generations. Joe Humphreys, a renowned instructor at Penn State’s fly fishing program, took Daniel under his wing when Daniel was just 14 years old. This mentorship has led Daniel to become a two-time U.S. Fly Fishing Champion and the current director of the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program at Penn State.
Joe Humphreys and George Daniel’s Impact on Fly Fishing
Here are 10 valuable tips from Daniel and Joe Humphreys that can elevate your fly fishing game:
- Focus on presentation: A well-presented “okay” fly often yields better results than a poorly presented perfect fly.
- Break down larger rivers: Treat big rivers as a collection of smaller streams to make them less intimidating.
- Pay attention to current seams: These areas where fast and slow water meet are prime feeding zones for trout in larger rivers.
- Practice reading water: Spend time observing the river before fishing to identify promising spots and fish activity.
- Don’t overcomplicate fly selection: Start with patterns that have worked well on smaller streams, then adjust based on local conditions.
- Use a boat towel: Daniel recommends using a towel on the boat floor to protect your fly line and prevent snags[1].
- Consider shorter rods for bigger flies: Shorter rods allow for more movement in the fly during retrieval, making it appear more lifelike[1].
- Be patient when teaching children: Humphreys advises that tangles are part of fishing, and it’s important to teach problem-solving without getting irritable.
- Fish close to far: Start by fishing the water closest to you and gradually work your way outward to cover water systematically without spooking the fish.
- Continuously learn and improve: Both Humphreys and Daniel stress the importance of ongoing education in fly fishing, whether through competitions, mentorship, or practical experience.
At FlyFishFinder™, we recognize the crucial role of community and tutelage in fly fishing development. That’s why we’ve created our app as a modern approach to knowledge-sharing. We aim to provide a platform where anglers can connect, share insights, and learn from each other, much like the mentorship between Humphreys and Daniel.
Our app allows users to access local knowledge, plan trips more effectively, and improve their skills through shared experiences. We’ve mapped over 225,000 rivers across 50 states and included 55,000 trout streams, with map updates being added regularly. Our in-app community feature enables anglers to network, share tips, and even plan fishing trips together.
As we look to the future, we’re excited about the potential of our platform to bridge the gap between traditional mentorship and modern technology in fly fishing. We’re constantly working to improve our app, drawing inspiration from the dedication to education shown by anglers like Humphreys and Daniel.
In conclusion, the relationship between Humphreys and Daniel underscores the importance of mentorship in fly fishing. At FlyFishFinder™, we’re proud to offer a modern tool that facilitates this kind of knowledge-sharing and community-building among anglers of all levels. We invite you to join our community and experience the benefits of shared knowledge and expertise in the world of fly fishing. All skill levels are welcome. Obviously this article did not do these two men justice but they have been pillars in the fly fishing community for decades. We believe many of you out there will have similar impacts on the sport and those around you.
For more reading, check out this article on fly selection tips.
If you’d like to see the original article written by Christian Bacasa on Geoge Daniel and Joe Humphreys you can find it here.
