Retired Environmental Scientist Invents New Fly-Fishing Method

For Immediate Release
Contact: Harry Campbell
(608) 767-3210
[email protected]

(Black Earth, WI)  Pat Moffitt, a retired environmental scientist and long-time fisheries’ resource advocate, has introduced a new method of fly fishing which significantly reduces mortality among caught and released fish. The Moffitt Angling System utilizes flies tied on flexible synthetic cores instead of hooks, which are looped on to the fly leader several inches above a uniquely designed barbless circle hook.

“While researching the causes of mortality among caught and released fish, I realized that the trouble starts when the fish draws the hook into its mouth,” explained Pat Moffitt. “I realized that separating the fly from the hook would be the first step towards controlling the hook set and developing a more resource-friendly method of catch-and-release fishing”.

When a trout or other fish takes a hookless Moffitt fly into its mouth, the angler strikes in a slightly exaggerated manner, pulling the fly from the fish’s mouth and the circle hook into the outer jaw of the fish. The fine wire, barbless circle hook is specifically designed to cause minimal damage or disfigurement to the fish, and makes it easy to quickly release them without handling or removing it from the water.
Field testers of the final Moffitt System prototypes were amazed by the virtually unnoticeable impact the tiny circle hooks had on the trout they hooked – as well as the speed and ease of releasing the fish they landed. They also experienced no decrease in overall hookups – and appreciated how easy it was to loop flies on and off of their leader.

Over 4,000 fish were hooked during seven years of research and development, including five species of salmonids, bluefish, striped bass, bonefish, bluegills, whitefish and small- and largemouth bass. Over 2,000 fish ranging in size from 4 to 48 inches in length were formally logged into Moffitt’s research database after being caught on hookless dry flies, nymphs and streamers. Pat examined every aspect of hooking and landing fish, factoring in variables like rod weight and tippet strength, the type of fish, its size, hook mechanics (shape or design), the relationship of the fish position relative to the angler at the time of strike (upstream, across, down etc.) fly type and size, weight location, knot type, where the fish was hooked, and whether the fish was landed, broken off, rolled, lost or foul hooked. His research showed that 99.6% of the fish landed using the Moffitt System were hooked in a non-sensitive location (e.g. lower outer jaw) resulting is minimal injury or disfigurement.

About Pat Moffitt: The man behind the Moffitt Angling System is a retired environmental scientist, a passionate fisheries’ resource advocate, and a lifetime fly angler and fly tier. He built an environmental services company that offered engineering, studies and laboratory analysis both nationally and internationally, and after selling his company to a large international consortium, he continued to manage it until retirement.

At the same time, he worked tirelessly as an unpaid scientific advisor to a number of projects promoting the interests of our fishery resources and sport fishing — with a special place in his heart for the anadromous salmonids and striped bass.

After he retired, he turned his scientific attention to the problems he saw in his beloved sport that negatively impacted fish. He set out with a goal to develop a better fishing system that would be both fish- and fisherman-friendly, and that would leverage all the current angling skills and fly tying art. The result is the Moffitt Angling System.

About Moffitt Angling:  Moffitt Angling is a new company dedicated to research, development and manufacturing of resource-friendly fishing methods, tackle and equipment. The Moffitt Angling System is a revolutionary new method of hooking and releasing trout and other game fish that utilizes “hookless” flies suspended above a uniquely designed and rigged barbless circle hook – and offers many advantages over conventional fly-fishing methods, for both the angler and the trout..