Penn State has long been recognized as a leader in fly fishing education. Many people in the angling community refer to PSU as Angling U. The course started in 1947 by George Harvey, ”The Dean of Fly Fishing,” and was taught by renowned Angler Joe Humphries. The history of this unique course is documented in the  book George Harvey: Memories, Patterns and Tactics by Dan Shields, co-owner of the local Flyfisher's Paradise. When Joe retired in 1989, Vance McCullough very capably guided the program for eight years, and Mark Belden has been teaching it since 1997. Each angling innovator has been an excellent steward for the program, and has been instrumental in building a rich legacy for this unique program. 

In the Spring of 2004, the Penn State Fly Fishing program was featured on the Outdoor Life Network's series Fly Fishing America. The program highlighted the near 3/4 of a century of fly fishing education at Fly Fishing U.