UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State was the first university to create a fly fishing program in the 1930s. The program was formed to give students opportunities to explore different ways they could be active while teaching them skills that they could use in their everyday lives.
Now, as a part of Penn State’s core curriculum students must take three credits of health and physical activity classes during their four years at Penn State. In the early 1930s, Penn State and Joe Humphreys created the fly fishing program. However, it was not until 1947 that the course became credited.
“We have the oldest running fly fishing program in the country,” George Daniel, Penn State fly fishing courses instructor explained.
Fly fishing is comparable to fishing, however, in fly fishing, bait is created through different types of material to recreate the image of a fly.
“What we’re trying to do is craft or fashion a fly that kind of resembles what you see in nature, with fin, fur and feather,” Daniel said.
Daniel was introduced to fly fishing when he was just six years old. At 13 years old he fell in love with fly fishing and started taking lessons and researching fly fishing. An avid fly fisher, Daniel has competed for Team USA multiple times.
In 2019, Daniel was named the lead instructor of the Penn State fly fishing program. He teaches seven sections of fly fishing classes — six beginner sections and one advanced section.
The beginner courses teach students the basic skills needed to fly fish. This includes focusing on technique, fly casting, tying flies and much more.
The advanced class takes the basic class to the next level, allowing them to practice skills that they have already learned. Something unique to both classes is the field trips that classes go on that allow students to really practice the skills they learn in class.
Around 10% of students who take the basic fly fishing class will move on to take the advanced fly fishing class.
“From a university standpoint, one of the things that we’re trying to do is we’re trying to introduce students to leisure activities that they can take with them for the rest of their lives,” Daniel said.
Daniel explained how Centre County has one of the best environments for a fly fishing class, noting that few years ago, the area was named one of the best places for fly fishers to retire.
“We have four world-class trout streams all within a half-hour drive off campus,” Daniel explained. “It’s just the limestone geology that we have spring creeks.”
