| The Contented Angler "A Genuine Fly Shop" |
2010 could well be remembered as “The Year of the Stink Bug.” They hang around every year looking for a winter home, but when they start making the news, you sort of figure that there is a problem. This is an insect that would much rather be known by its Latin name. However, even if it were reclassified a few times, like they do with Mayflies, people would still refer to it by its common name. Those that reclassify insects usually name them after themselves. Wouldn’t we all love to have a bug named after us? After all the trouble of reclassification, a March Brown is still a March Brown and a Stink Bug will always be a Stink Bug. I remember reading somewhere that the Stink Bug is an Illegal immigrant from China. It can do damage to fruit, vegetables and houseplants. Other than that, the Stink Bug is quite harmless to humans. It doesn’t even live up to its’ name unless you smash it, so I hear. I’m very tempted to do this, but the thought of smashing a stink bug seems to slip my mind throughout the busy day. The Stink Bug has to have the most offensive name of any living thing in this world. All we have to do is hear the name and we don’t like it. We don’t mind grasshopper, cricket, catepillar or inchworm. Night crawler sounds sort of scarry and so does dragonfly. Damselfly sounds much nicer than Dragonfly. Inchworm is nice. You almost want to befriend an inchworm Some Scientists are blaming the stink bug invasion on the clean air that we have today. I knew there would be a catch to having clean air. Clean air is also blamed for the growing mosquito population. Where I grew up we had DDT in the air and I can’t recall any stink bug invasions then. You sacrificed a few humans, but there were very few mosquitoes and stink bugs. In those days you would have to travel to Egypt to be inflicted with West Nile virus. Ahh, the good ol’ days of DDT and the local steel mill pumping out pollution as fast as it could. I remember when the houses were covered with an orange dust. You couldn’t see a stink bug even if they were there. Perhaps that is the answer! Maybe we just couldn’t see them, and it already smelled so bad that you wouldn’t notice the smell if somone smashed one. The Stink Bug plague may even be a sign that we are in our final days! I need to check the “Book of Revelations” to see if they mention a stink bug invasion. No, they would use the Latin name. Hey! I just proved that Latin can be useful today. You don’t have to run in to an ancient greek to use it after all. Maybe this is a plot by China? Scientists say that this is only the beginning! Are we to be overrun by Stink Bugs? What a way to go! The angler can only look at the Stink Bug as a possible addition to the trout’s menu, like the Cicada. I doubt it. I never remember anyone saying: “I remember fishing the stink bug hatch in ’ 56, what a day that was.” Whatever eats Stink Bugs is going to grow very large in the next few years. I’m going to smash one tomorrow. I think the Stink Bug walks around depressed anyway from the name we pinned on it . There may even be a need to go into diplomatic negotiations with China over the Stink Bug. Even though it does no harm to humans, it could make a pretty big stink! Joe Clubfoot |
The Year of the Stink Bug
| The Contented Angler 147 jefferson Avenue Lower Burrell, PA. 15068 724 - 337 - 0437 |
The above article is property of Joe Clubfoot. Fly
anglers that copy this article without permission will have
their casting hand slapped. Those who use spinners
with treble hooks will be prosecuted.
anglers that copy this article without permission will have
their casting hand slapped. Those who use spinners
with treble hooks will be prosecuted.
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