January 25, 2005 Ottawa - If the names Alevin, Jock Scott, P.E.I. Fly and Mickey Finn mean anything to you, then you'll want to drop a line to a friend to tell them that they need to visit their local post office next month. On February 4, 2005, Canadians will have four new stamps honouring the masterful art that is fishing flies. The stamps will be unveiled at the Quebec-Maritimes Fly Fishing Forum, to be held in Granby, Quebec on February 5th and 6th. One of the most popular forms of outdoor recreation, fishing is enjoyed by Canadians of all ages -- and by many tourists who come here on fishing vacations. Fly fishing has been around for thousands of years. The sport was first mentioned by Roman writer Claudius Aelianus or as he is known today, Aelian. This author, who lived from 170--230 AD, spoke of a Macedonian way of catching fish with red wool and feathers attached to a hook. When British emigrants came to Canada, they brought their love of fly fishing and used their Scottish and English salmon and trout flies. New Canadian flies and variations were developed with patterns for specific rivers or lakes, but the majority of both salmon and trout flies used in Canada today can be traced to Scottish or English classical designs. The flies featured on the stamps are: Alevin - created in 1939 by legendary fly fisherman, author and artist Tom Brayshaw, this fly is used with great success on the Adams River of B.C. where large rainbow trout find it irresistible. Its red throat hackle is meant to replicate the yolk sac of the alevin or larvae stage of the trout -- hence the name. The fly on the stamp was tied by Brian Chan of Kamloops, B.C. Jock Scott - The Jock Scott, used for salmon, is the most famous Scottish fly and has been a mainstay on Canadian rivers since colonial times. It remains one of the four most popular classic patterns in use today. Rick Whorwood of Stoney Creek, Ontario tied the fly on the stamp. P.E.I. Fly - This fly, one of the earliest Canadian creations, was described in detail in the 1860s book, Salmon Fishing in Canada, and was originally tied from feathers of the now-endangered red ibis. It can be tied for either salmon or trout and in this stamp, it's tied for trout. Rob Solo from Corner Brook, Newfoundland provided the featured fly. Mickey Finn - The Mickey Finn, as it's now called, was created in the 19th century by Charles Langevin and known at that time as the "Langevin". It was used on the Jacques-Cartier River in the Québec City area and appears not to have been used or known outside of that region. In the 1930s, John Alden Knight learned of the fly at a private fishing club in New York and immediately recognized the value of this "Red and Yellow Bucktail". He used it with great success in 1936 and decided to rename the fly, "The Assassin". Very shortly after, Knight's fishing partner, Gregory Clark (of the Toronto Star) changed the name once more -- this time to "Mickey Finn". The fly is used for bass, pike, salmon and trout. Tier Hazel Maltais of Montréal created this stamp's fly. This is the second set of fishing fly stamps issued by Canada Post. The first, issued in April of 1998, featured the Coquihalla Orange, Steelhead Bee, Dark Montréal, Lady Amherst, Coho Blue, and Cosseboom Special. Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the Newsroom section of Canada Post's website, and a downloadable high-resolution photos of the Fishing Flies stamps are in the Newsroom's Photo Centre. Stamps and Official First Day covers will be available at participating post offices, can be ordered online by following the links at Canada Post's website www.canadapost.ca, or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA call toll-free: 1-800-565-4362 and from other countries call: (902) 863-6550. For further information, contact: Cindy Daoust, Ottawa, Ontario (613) 734-4258
