By Tom Joudrey, Penn State News

The College of Health and Human Development will present the Fly Fishing Virtual Institute, a three-part virtual series on fly fishing, hosted by George Daniel, director and lead instructor of Penn State’s angling program, and featuring fly-fishing legend Joe Humphreys.

Advanced registration is required for each date of programming on Oct. 20, Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, with a discount available for enrolling in the comprehensive bundle. All broadcasts are scheduled for 7–8 p.m., and the following topics will be covered:

-- The premier program will be devoted to the art of fly tying and will cover knots, loops and connections, as well as how matters of entomology, stream habitats and seasonal behavioral should affect tie choices.

-- Casting techniques will be the focus of the second program, which will provide an in-depth tutorial on how to grip and cast a fly rod, including common casting patterns such as overhead, reach, puddle and steeple. George Daniel will also explain how choices about line control, setting the hook, playing and releasing the fish and types of flies — nymphs, dry, and streamers — can shape the fly-fishing experience. This advice will be complemented by insights into how various rod action setups enable different levels of control, accuracy, versatility and flexibility.

-- The final program brings the series to culmination with an exclusive, wide-ranging conversation with 92-year-old legendary icon in the sport of fly fishing, Joe Humphreys.

The live webinar also will be interspersed with recorded footage from fall 2021 of anglers experimenting with ties and navigating the waters of central Pennsylvania.

Proceeds garnered from registration fees will go to support Penn State’s flying fishing curriculum, which is housed in the Department of Kinesiology and available to all University Park students in fulfillment of general education requirements.

The institute was conceived and designed by Daniel, who since 2019 has served as director and lead instructor of Penn State’s fly fishing program. Daniel is one of the country’s leading fly-fishing experts.

A two-time U.S. Fly Fishing Champion, he has also competed in five World Fly Fishing Championships and has been ranked as high as fifth in the world. His passion as an educator has led him to coach both the U.S. Youth Team and Fly Fishing Team USA in four World Championships.

Today, Daniel makes regular rounds on the lecture circuit and at seminar venues around the country, while continuing to log more than 280 days a year on streams and rivers as he continues to gather new nuances of understanding about trout and salmon.

He has distilled his decades of accumulated experience in three bestselling books, and his popular articles have appeared in Fly Fisherman, American Angler and Fly Tyer magazines.

Students, alumni and friends who wish to participate in the institute can learn more on the registration page, or can contact the director of alumni relations in the College of Health and Human Development, Brent Hurley, at bwh120@psu.edu.

(Reprinted from Penn State News.)

[Posted: September 9, 2021]

9/13/2021