By Jim Abbs

How was last summer’s fishing? If you were like most of us, it ended all too quickly. By summer’s end, you probably had the wholesome golden tan of a Montana fishing guide.

But wait a minute. There is a deadly danger lurking in that great outdoors. We now know that healthy skin IS NOT suntanned and it’s not sunburned. Physicians tell us that even the mildest suntan means damaged skin and eventually skin cancer. If you burn easily, rarely tan, sometimes freckle or have a fair complexion with blonde or red hair, or blue or gray eyes you are even more vulnerable to skin cancer. But in everyone, suntanned skin is a step closer to developing cancer because the sun’s damage is progressive - every year you increase the chances of joining the estimated 700,000 Americans who develop skin cancer and the 7,000-10,000 who die from sun exposure. Moreover, malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, has been steadily rising.

Perhaps that is because just last month we also got the bad news that the Ozone layer over the south pole has an even bigger hole and that ultra-violet radiation poses ever increasing risk, worldwide. Anglers are especially vulnerable because we generally are overexposed for a short time each year, because we seldom cover exposed skin properly and because we are exposed over many years, building up a backlog of skin damage the puts us at the highest risk. How many years have your been getting your skin damaged?.

If you have been fishing in the sun for 5 or more years, it may be time to take stock. First there are some easily detectable signs of malignant melanoma. Many of us have moles and pigmented spots on our skin. Here are four signs that may signal malignant melanoma: (A) ASSYMMETRY - one-half the spot is unlike the other half, (B) BORDER irregularity - scalloped or poorly circumscribed border , (C ) COLOR varied from one area of the spot to another; shades of tan and brown; black, sometimes white, red or blue and (D) DIAMETER larger than 6 mm (the size of a pencil eraser). The American Academy of Dermatology calls this the ABCD check. They tell us to mind those ABCD’s!.

A little scary isn’t it. This also may be a time to think about changing our behavior for this year. The American Cancer Society says you can reduce risk by: (1) applying a sunscreen of at least a SPF of 15 before going out in the sun and apply it again if you stay out more than 4 hours, (2) avoiding sun exposure between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., (3) wearing long-sleeved, tightly woven cotton shirts, long pants and (4) purchasing and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. The National Farm Medicine Center has shown that very popular baseball-style caps do not provide useful protection.

If you take these suggestions seriously, we can expect to see you on the water for years to come. While floppy hats and long-sleeved shirts may look a little eccentric, remember, it is better to be the odd fly angler than the late fly angler.

This article was provided by the Federation of Fly Fishers. Visit their site for more articles and information about fly fishing. The Federation of Fly Fishers is a unique non-profit organization concerned with sport fishing and fisheries.