Outdoor Living Network to profile fly fishing at Penn State
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Fly fishing has a long and storied history at Penn State. Penn State was the first university in the United States to offer courses in fly fishing, in the 1930’s – course offerings that continue today. The Oct. 7, 2002, issue of Sports Illustrated ranks the University’s three-course fly fishing series as the “Best Fishing Class” in the country. In 2003, Penn State Trustee Jessie Arnelle began a special initiative for Penn State students of color to introduce them to a potential lifelong activity. Based on the continuing success of this life activity that thousands of students have learned and honed at Penn State, the Outdoor Living Network (OLN) will profile the fly fishing at Penn State in a half-hour show airing later this week. The University’s fly-fishing experts – George Harvey, Joe Humphreys, Vance McCullough and Mark Belden – will comprise a round-table of reminiscing and will take viewers into the classroom and on the river. The program will first air on OLN at 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 11. It will re-air at 1:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 12, and again at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 17. For more on fly fishing at Penn State, visit [url=http://live.psu.edu/story/3222:61348]http://live.psu.edu/story/3222[/url:61348]
Thanks for the heads-up on this. I’ll have to watch it.
I think that George Harvey was teaching this course when I was at Penn State during the late 1960’s, but I never knew about it until long after I had left there. I often wish that I had taken that course though. Then, instead of cutting class for an afternoon of fishing over at the Paradise, I could have stayed in class and gotten credit for it! (And probably learned more too.)
Well, I watched the 1:30 AM show on Penn States Fly Fishing course and it was worth the loss of sleep. I highly recommend you all watch the show on 3/17. It was entertaining and educational. I wanted my son to Matriculate there this coming year, but he has chosen to attend the U. of Scranton so I guess I will be doing more fishing than usual in the Lackawanna River and the Poconos, rather than Central Pa.
Analogbob
I have Humphreys small stream tactics video…on the tape he fishes with Harvey on what he claims “Georges last time on a mountain stream”…he mentions, I think, that at that time he (Harvey) was in his early 80’s…the tape is dated 1997 so that would have to put Harvey in his early 90’s…perhaps?
Short story about the time I met George Harvey at the International Fly Tying Symposium about 5-6 years ago.
I was tying at the Catskill Fly Tyer’s Guild table and looked up to see Mr.Harvey. I was just starting to wind the hackle and he asked me in a deadpan voice, “Do you know how to get the hackle to stand up straight?” I simply answered, “How?” Then he responded with a grin, “Sprinkle some Viagra on it”.
Ball State University offers a FF course through its Rec. Services program–open to students,staff, and people in the community. Course has been going for about 15 years.One “unique” feature is that some of the casting ( while the weather is too cold to go outside) is taught in the university’s 11,500 seat basketball arena–quite a dramatic "backdrop !!!
Having sat in George’s living room many times, and hearing countless great stories, one thing is pretty incredible. Both George and his wife were professional tiers back in the 1950’s. George was the cornerstone of the Phillips Fly Co., Alexandria, PA. He taught many of the tiers if not all. He and his wife purchased their first house in the 1950’s from what they made from fly tying. If you really think about that, pretty mind boggling. George’s flies are always impecable. His style is unique in the sense that I would call them “Pennsylvania Catskill Ties”. Now you figure that one out and The best reply will be forwarded a classic George Harvey fly. Bruce
I’ll give the Pennsylvania style Catskill fly definition a shot.
George’s flies are more heavily hackled than typical Catskill dries. When Metz developed their first genetic hackle George instructed folks to use 3 hackles per fly. The flies are still tied with hackle tip wings and hackle tails, but they are of a stouter profile and construction.