WHEN A ROSE IS NOT A ROSE

What a great article Neil, thank you. I'd previously given all you say some thought but never really organised them and now you've done it for me. It did cross my mind that the only reason many are going astream is because to them it's the cool thing to do. It can't be for meat and at the dark end of the spectrum it certainly isn't sport.

I hope this doesn't cast a cloud, but I know someone that uses a downrigger, flyrod and fly to get at larger trout in lakes and I doubt he's alone in that.

Will the fad fade? Will the 'crush and releasers' dwindle? Some fly shops I'm in close contact with seem to think so but suggest that the internet may be responsible for their downward spiralling sales rather than declining numbers of new fly rod and reel owners. Things fly fishing certainly have changed, that's for sure. Some for the better, some not so.

I do have to take pause though and recall a kid with his first fly rod and reel, eager to wet a line with no place to go close by nor anyone to turn to for help besides those now legends but once writing in magazines. It might have been nice to have been able to find fly fishers on any kind of water one visited days gone by. On the other hand, a rose still smelled like one back then. Thanks again Neil.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose