Nobody ever said Obama was an outdoorsman but I guess he made a campaign promise when he was in Montana. So this weekend, according to some online news sites, while there with his family to spend time in National Parks, he went fly fishing. He spent a couple of hours in the pouring rain on the East Gallatin River with guide Dan Vermillion who runs the Sweetwater Fly Shop in Livingston. Vermillion said that Obama hooked up half a dozen times but didn’t manage to land any. No camera crews or journalists allowed.
Interesting, glad he got on the water, and it wasn’t just a photo opportunity.
Perhaps he will like it so much he will be out with a 5 wt on the west lawn.
Bring on a new craze in America.
Nice article on the subject, states he has been practicing at camp David and is enjoying the sport.
http://news.aol.com/article/obama-fly-fishing-on-vacation/623715
Now we need to get him to a fish in and perhaps have a swap and send him the flies.
Lets keep the politics out of this one people
Eric
I can’t wait to see/hear what the crazy PETA people are going to say about this!!
I think the cameras were forbidden because he learned his lesson when he let people film him trying to bowl.
Gutbomb,
Lesson learned 
Coughlin
The pics available on the story posted by Diane, there were a couple of O’Prez walking with what appeared to be a Green rod tube with brass cap…
#218 and #222
One would assume Winston or Orvis???
Nice Gear to learn with…thanks to DCOS Messina.
I like to see some practice shots on the south lawn:roll:
It looks just like my Winston rod tubes.
Here’s a question: Who was our greatest fly-fishing president?
Randy
When Jimmy Carter ended his term he was asked what he will do next. He told the reporter “I think I’d like to learn to be a better fly fisherman.”
Those of us who fly fish understand the difference between going fishing and “wanting to learn to be better”. Yeah, he’s a real fly fisherman.
Hoover, Eisenhower, Carter (after the bunny attack), and George H.W. Bush (my neighbor took a 12 lb. false albacore right from under his feet when we were fishing at Harkers Island in 1998 ) all were/are fly fisherman. I think Hoover may have been the most serious of the group. I know he spent a lot of time on the Rapidan in Shenandoah National Park.
Regards,
Scott
Coolidge spent some time fishing in South Dakota (Custer State Park), and has a lake and stream named for his wife. Story tells that they (the State) used to stock the dickens out of both when they knew he was coming for a vacation. State Game Lodge was his White House of the West!
They did the same thing on Big Hunting Creek by Camp David when Carter would show up.
Regards,
Scott
In my book collection is a copy of “Fishing for Fun and to Wash Your Soul”, by Herbert Hoover. It is a good read and a pretty cool book. The “Hoover Camp” in the Shenandoah National Park was his hangout.
Jimmy Carter is a very serious fly fisherman too. I’ve corresponded with him a few times on fly fishing related issues and he always responds.
Harold f. Blaisdell (perhaps my favorite FF writer) notes that when Eisenhower fished (Maine, I believe, but not certain) there was massive stocking of the stream prior to his arrival, although it’s not certain if IKE was aware of the preparations. Sort of like filling the campaign trail crowd with ringers.
Hope he’s better at that than he is at golf. I’d bet this is the first time he’s ever SEEN a stream.
Like someone I know once said. “Thread useless without pics.”
On the other hand President G.H.W. Bush has been documented many times on film catching fish!
Has nothing to do with politics, just simple proof he did it. That’s all I’m going to say.
Definitely one of mine…particularly “The Philosophical Fisherman”. He stripped away the pretensions of fly fishing and left the priceless essence (“priceless essence” being a pretensious phrase…)
I’d say President Herbert Hoover was the greatest fly fishing president. Funny, I just read an article he wrote in 1944 for Sports Afield in which he explains why Presidents take up fishing. I’ll see if I can find the exact quote and credit it properly tonight.
is all I’m going to say.
There is a group of photos of the Bamboo Fly Rod that Bill Oyster built for Carter…NICE GEAR…Nice:roll: