With our Opening Day 72 days away, things are looking pretty good. The Sierra snowpack appears to be in fair shape, particularly on the Eastside. New flies have been tied. Gear’s ready.

But wait.  It gets better.

One beverage of choice for the post-fly fishing adventure has been deemed to be a great source of stuff that’ll improve bone health.

Researchers at the nearby University of California, Davis (and now friends of fly fishermen everywhere), have published a study showing that beer contains a large amount of dietary silicon (Si). Thankfully, better-tasting many microbrews seem to be the best source of the mineral.

UCD researchers tested 100 commercial beers for silicon content and organized the results according to beer style and source. According to the study, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, India Pale Ales (IPAs) offer the best bet at boosting bone mineral density (BMD) with a silicon content averaging 41.2 parts per million (ppm). Ales offer an average of 32.8 ppm. Lagers like Budweiser, PBR, Coors, and Molson aren’t worth drinking offer only half as much silicon as IPAs, at a relatively feeble 23.8 ppm. Since boosting BMD protects against osteoporosis, does more beer drinking equal more time on the water in retirement? We’d like to think so.

Note of Warning

It’s pretty obvious that except when bass fishing or brownlining it would be counterproductive to consume beer prior to stumbling around boulders in a favorite stream. Less obvious is that one should leave the beer behind during winter fly fishing. Beer freezes fairly easily.  That’s where the whiskey comes in.

[Article: “Silicon in Beer and Brewing.” Troy R. Casey and Charles W. Bamforth. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Published Online: February 8, 2010 (DOI: 10.1002/JSFA.3884); Print Issue Date: February 2010]