Salvelinus fontinalis, the trout that’s not a trout, but a char. Image courtesy of NFC.
Salvelinus fontinalis – never forget how significant native fish populations are to humankind
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Many years ago, maybe in the late 1960s, and after a short career in the NFL and a budding one in construction, I learned more about fly fishing in two days than I had in a half dozen years leading up to those two days.
I never wet a line either of those days; I just carried my rod everywhere listening to Louie Castellini, whom I had serendipitously met on the porch of a hotel that wanted to stay in its 1930s backwoods character.
Louie was a proud American who was born in Anzio, Italy. He’d survived Benito Mussolini, fascism, the Nazi’s and communists. Mr. Castellini needed no tools to tie a Green Drake, Adams, sulfurs – any fly, and he made all his fly rods [bamboo and glass], and, of course, tied all his flies.
We fished mountain brookies; in two days, we never saw another vehicle on old logging roads, not a human soul in two long dawn to nighttime days in June.
Louie and I fished the Lycoming County Waters of Pennsylvania water, and others, for one week in June every year until he passed away in the late 70s.
And what Louie and I loved most, our days pesca alla trota di ruscello brookie – as Louie would say.
Bob Mallard. With a nice Maine pond brook trout.
A year ago or more, I met another man, Bob Mallard, whom you’ll meet in the following film. He brought me back to that love and appreciation place of wanting to protect native fish populations.
I hope you will join me and feel the same way.”
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