Does the fly matter? The CRACKPOT study in evidence based trout fishing

Objective To investigate the importance of the type of dry fly (artificial floating fly) in catching trout (brown and rainbow) in an English chalkstre am. Setting River Kennet, Berkshire. Design Five anglers on five separate occasions spent live hours using a ran domly allocated ny from a sample of five types. Participants Five anglers of considerable but varying experience, determina tion, and opinion. Main outcome measures Number, weight and species of trout caught. Results One ny (Black Gnat) performed significantly worse than the others. The ny most successful in catching brown trout was the Cinnamon Sedge. Conclusion The possible prolongation of doctors' leisure time consequent on the use of unproductive trout flies has resource implications for the NHS. Urgent funding of a definitive, large multiriver trial is needed.