NEW YORK—A powerful group of fly-fishing anglers, The Progressive Anglers for Linguistic Equity (PALE), has gotten recent attention for demanding the fly-fishing community stop appropriating Latin names for flies. “The Latin language has a rich and storied history in medicine and law and should not be used for the casual naming of fishing flies,” PALE’s president, E. Pluribus Brookfield, wrote in a prepared statement. “By using Latin names, we’re not only appropriating a culture but also perpetuating elitism in the fly-fishing community. It’s time we adopt more inclusive names that represent our diverse society,” the statement continued. As an example of the changes PALE seeks, they’ve suggested Mr. Green Jeans for Ephemera Danica and Ole Yeller for Hexagenia Limbata. However, they insist the entire fly-fishing community should be involved.
Not all anglers agree. “If these PALE fools get their way, we’ll lose a time-honored and effective way of making novice fly anglers feel inferior,” a sixty-something man wearing a plaid Bug-Out shirt said during a heated exchange in Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Orvis Store. But the store’s managers agree with most other store owners—anything that makes fly-fishing more inclusive and accessible is good.
In an odd clash of cultures, a group of Millennial and Gen Z anglers met with PALE to suggest QR codes replace the outdated Latin names. “Why not use QR codes for fly names?” asked River Jordan-Bluestone, president of the start-up Tech Flies. “With a quick scan, anglers can get everything they need—life cycle, reliable patterns, TikTok videos, and Instagram photos. It’s eco-friendly, modern, non-appropriative, and totally in line with our digital era.”
In recent weeks, traditionalists have formed a grassroots organization, Latin Lovers for Legacy, and have planned their first silent protest at the William Penn statue in Philadelphia’s Welcome Park. Organizers chose this location after public outcry saved Penn’s likeness from the National Park Service’s proposed destruction, and they hope this symbolic victory against cultural revisionism will aid in their fight to preserve Latin fly names.
