“Bee boop bee boop… I am your fly-tying AI… here to take over… ‘errrr I mean, here to help you develop a new fly pattern…”
With seemingly every passing day, there’s a release of smarter, faster, and more human-like AI. AI is being integrated into an increasing number of products—bikes, dishwashers, garage doors, even cooking pans! In fact, I had a hard time finding many household items that don’t have an AI-assisted version.
But will the future of fishing be dominated by AI? While I won’t pretend to know what our robot overlords have planned, until they do take over, I’m happy to use AI to my advantage.
I don’t intend to turn this into a technical post, but it’s worth noting that there are many different LLMs (large language models) available. The one I use most often is OpenAI’s ChatGPT and its integrated GPTs. If you haven’t tried using an LLM yet, you should. It does take some practice to craft effective prompts, but with a little effort, you’ll be off and running in no time.
Here in Utah, the ‘fall’ fishing season can be brief. As water temperatures drop and before the snow piles up, there’s often a short window of great fall streamer fishing. With a mix of wild and stocked trout in many local reservoirs and rivers, the opportunity to find trout in shallower water, eager to strike a bigger fly, makes the cold worth it. Add in the chance of hooking into pre-spawn browns, and I make it a point to maximize my time on the water each year.
Before a recent trip, I decided to take a unique approach: I asked ChatGPT to help me design a new fly pattern for the occasion. I provided my preferred color palette and emphasized my desire for the fly to “push water” by building bulk into its head. Then, I left much of the creativity up to the AI. Within a few minutes of chatting and iterating, this was the final result:
ChatGPT dubbed the creation the “Fusion Fry,” a nod to the human/AI collaboration behind the pattern.
I liked how this pattern differed from my usual go-to flies and decided to tie a few, committing to fishing only this fly during my next outing. That cold and windy day, after landing several fish and noticing the lack of action from other anglers, I was grateful to have AI on my side—and the “Fusion Fry” in my box.
As I reflected on the experience, I asked ChatGPT how I might summarize the process of using AI to design a fly pattern. Here’s what it came up with:
“Catching fish on a fly you tied yourself is always special, but designing that fly with the help of AI took the experience to a whole new level. It reminded me that even in a sport as steeped in tradition as fly fishing, there’s room for innovation. Sometimes, the best way to catch a fish is by letting a bit of technology guide your creativity.”
Fusion Fry
Materials list:
– Streamer Hook
– Dubbing body
– Bugger feathers (yellow, grizzley)
– Marabou wing
– Schlappen collar
– Gold bead
