Story Photos
 John Anderson is an entomologist who took up fly fishing when he moved to Bend, Ore., in 1993. The Associated Press
|
For Bend fisherman and entomologist, it's all about the bugs
Thursday, July 3, 2008 11:31 PM PDT
By Mark Morical
The
BEND, Ore. — After spending more than 30 years at the University of California, Berkeley, as a professor and research scientist in entomology — the study of insects — John Anderson knows his bugs.
Anderson, 76, did not take up fly fishing until 1993, when he moved to Bend after retiring. But his background with insects has certainly helped him in the sport.
“There’s a strong relationship between entomological knowledge and the patterns of flies to mimic the insects,” Anderson says. “It helps to know what they look like and know their behavior. To be a good nymph fisherman, you have to know something about the biology of insects in the stream. It’s helped me.”
Anderson specialized in veterinary entomology, studying black flies, mosquitoes and other parasitic flies. He spent countless hours in rivers and streams, looking for black flies, and gaining knowledge of mayflies, stoneflies and other aquatic insects that are key elements of fly angling.
An elected fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, Anderson has published numerous papers on black flies, mosquitoes and no-see-ums. And his work is not finished.
From February 2004 to April 2005, Anderson headed up a comprehensive study of the macroinvertebrates — many of which fish feed upon — in Central Oregon’s Crooked River. Anderson learned to fly fish on the Crooked, developing a fascination with the river.
For his studies, Anderson received grants and financial support from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.
Samples of the work can be seen in Anderson’s home, in a room designated partly for laundry, partly for research, where dozens of glass vials sit next to a microscope on a counter. Here, Anderson is in the process of identifying every macroinvertebrate specimen in the Crooked River.
He points out glass vials — filled with 70 percent alcohol solution — of stonefly nymphs and crane fly larvae from the Crooked River.
“The purpose (of the study) was a basic research question,” Anderson explains. “I wanted to know about the seasonal dynamics of macroinvertebrates in the Crooked River, and how they related to feeding behavior of trout and whitefish, since so many people fish there.
“The Crooked has a fantastic population of macroinvertebrates. There’s an abundance of food for trout and whitefish.”
Anderson took net samples of macroinvertebrates and also took stomach samples from redband trout and whitefish to learn what the fish feed on each month.
“I thought we should know more about it, and because I’m an entomologist, I thought I should do it,” Anderson says. “It’s been a great learning experience for me. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about seasonal dynamics in the Crooked River.”
A member of the Central Oregon Flyfishers, Anderson has passed along his knowledge and findings to the local club. Recently, the club honored him with a conservation award for his work on the Crooked River, and for his representation of the club on various water and environmental issues.
Growing up in rural northern Minnesota in the 1930s and ’40s, Anderson developed a love for the outdoors.
“We were always in the woods, catching gophers and frogs, hunting,” he recalls. “There were no ’No Trespassing’ signs.” Since his move to Bend with his wife, Shereen, Anderson has used his knowledge as an entomologist to become a better fly fisherman and to help other fly anglers.
He recommends that anglers place a screen in the water to catch drift insects — helpful in discovering what type and size of flies they should be using.
“I’ve met a lot of fly fishers who are good amateur entomologists,” Anderson says.
On the Net:
American Association for Advancement of Science: http://www.aaas.org/
Central Oregon Flyfishers: http://www.coflyfishers.org/
Printable version
E-mail this articleBEND, Ore. — After spending more than 30 years at the University of California, Berkeley, as a professor and research scientist in entomology — the study of insects — John Anderson knows his bugs.
Anderson, 76, did not take up fly fishing until 1993, when he moved to Bend after retiring. But his background with insects has certainly helped him in the sport.
“There’s a strong relationship between entomological knowledge and the patterns of flies to mimic the insects,” Anderson says. “It helps to know what they look like and know their behavior. To be a good nymph fisherman, you have to know something about the biology of insects in the stream. It’s helped me.”
Anderson specialized in veterinary entomology, studying black flies, mosquitoes and other parasitic flies. He spent countless hours in rivers and streams, looking for black flies, and gaining knowledge of mayflies, stoneflies and other aquatic insects that are key elements of fly angling.
An elected fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, Anderson has published numerous papers on black flies, mosquitoes and no-see-ums. And his work is not finished.
From February 2004 to April 2005, Anderson headed up a comprehensive study of the macroinvertebrates — many of which fish feed upon — in Central Oregon’s Crooked River. Anderson learned to fly fish on the Crooked, developing a fascination with the river.
For his studies, Anderson received grants and financial support from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.
Samples of the work can be seen in Anderson’s home, in a room designated partly for laundry, partly for research, where dozens of glass vials sit next to a microscope on a counter. Here, Anderson is in the process of identifying every macroinvertebrate specimen in the Crooked River.
He points out glass vials — filled with 70 percent alcohol solution — of stonefly nymphs and crane fly larvae from the Crooked River.
“The purpose (of the study) was a basic research question,” Anderson explains. “I wanted to know about the seasonal dynamics of macroinvertebrates in the Crooked River, and how they related to feeding behavior of trout and whitefish, since so many people fish there.
“The Crooked has a fantastic population of macroinvertebrates. There’s an abundance of food for trout and whitefish.”
Anderson took net samples of macroinvertebrates and also took stomach samples from redband trout and whitefish to learn what the fish feed on each month.
“I thought we should know more about it, and because I’m an entomologist, I thought I should do it,” Anderson says. “It’s been a great learning experience for me. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about seasonal dynamics in the Crooked River.”
A member of the Central Oregon Flyfishers, Anderson has passed along his knowledge and findings to the local club. Recently, the club honored him with a conservation award for his work on the Crooked River, and for his representation of the club on various water and environmental issues.
Growing up in rural northern Minnesota in the 1930s and ’40s, Anderson developed a love for the outdoors.
“We were always in the woods, catching gophers and frogs, hunting,” he recalls. “There were no ’No Trespassing’ signs.” Since his move to Bend with his wife, Shereen, Anderson has used his knowledge as an entomologist to become a better fly fisherman and to help other fly anglers.
He recommends that anglers place a screen in the water to catch drift insects — helpful in discovering what type and size of flies they should be using.
“I’ve met a lot of fly fishers who are good amateur entomologists,” Anderson says.
On the Net:
American Association for Advancement of Science: http://www.aaas.org/
Central Oregon Flyfishers: http://www.coflyfishers.org/
Past Month's Most Commented Stories