A modern dry fly code by Vincent Marinaro
When I was in my twenties, a very, very long time ago, I read Vincent Marinaro's book A Modern Dry-Fly Code. Originally published in 1950, the book lacked the essence of Vincent until Datus Proper released a forward-copyright edition in 1997. Honestly, the second edition led the reader into Marinaro's mind in an honest and whimsical manner, revealing his true eclectic and creative side. To this day, I reflect upon Vince's two books every time I sit down at my fly-tying bench or step into a cold trout stream. Vincent detested “plastic rods.” Datus even mentions that he avoided fly shops that carried fiberglass or graphite rods. Mr. Marinaro was a lawyer who was used to stating the case and living by it. So I suppose it makes sense that he would write a book called A Modern Dry-Fly Code. After all, laws were meant to be followed, but he certainly spent his fly-fishing career rewriting the book on dry fly fishing perspectives.
At certain points in this book, it genuinely feels like a manifesto meant to make you feel ill at ease with one's own practices on the water. What I take away from the book are some of the most insightful observations I have ever come across in any book I've read in my 60 years of fishing. Born in 1911, Marinaro grew up using bamboo fly rods but lived well into the eras of fiberglass and graphite fly rods. He was not a fan of the modern fly rod substrates and referred to them often as “soulless” and preferred the feedback and moderate to slow action of cane. He was clearly influenced by Garrison, Payne, and Leonard, but had his own rods that he feverishly tried to perfect. He preferred to fish and constantly tinker with his cane creations rather than sell them. As a cane rod maker, I can attest to the frustrations of monetizing what you are passionate about. If I had had the chance to meet Vincent one-on-one, I would be less interested in his rod tapers and more interested in his understanding of evolving the dry fly. Tapers depend on the applications of water, flies, and geography. Taking all this into account, as well as casting styles, often makes the taper conversation pedantic, complex, and tedious at best. As with comparing a Paul Young rod to a Garrison, it all comes down to personal preference and application. Marinaro did not like stiff butt sections, so I assume he had a bit of a dislike for Leonard rods. He leaned towards shorter rods of 8', 7'6", and “6-foot somethings”, as I like to call them. I think we could have tolerated each other. His personality strikes me as a grumpy OCD blend. Also, being Italian, I get pissed at people easily and defend my family wholeheartedly.
Vincent C. Marinaro passed away in 1986, leaving a wealth of knowledge for the fly-fishing world regarding technical dry-fly fishing. His techniques and vision have inspired me for 35 years and have constantly pushed me to innovate and stay curious.
Thanks for letting me share. ~Clint Bova www.cjbovarods.com
