Great article. I have also been reading a bunch of older flyfishing books recently and what always hits me as the "most profounds" advancement in the last 5 decades is the deep acceptance of the catch and release philosophy that flyfishers have accepted. I largely fish cane rods based on tapers that were old back then and reels that were made back then. While I am very glad to use modern lines, leaders, and tippets, I probably could still use silk and 1960 style nylon monofilament. I wouldn't like to but I could do it. But when I read those old stories about someone stalking a wild trout for days and then finally getting it to rise to a fly only to bonk it on the head to take back to the hotel for someone to cook for them - I just could not do it. A trout that could give me that much pleasure certainly is worth sharing with my fellow fishermen.
David