The thread on how many $600 ? $700 rods you own got me to thinking (ya, I know, that?s dangerous)

I?ve followed it with interest, amazement and amusement. There have been some interesting comments and points made ? as with many of the more lively threads on FAOL.

From my point of view, fly fishing for most of us is pure recreation ? by definition an activity for discretionary spending. (I?ve never met a fly fisher engaged in the sport to save money ? or feed the family). From that point of view, every dollar spent could be labeled ?frivolous?. As with anything in life, there is a wide economic spectrum of people who fly fish. Their discretionary spending varies just as significantly. A $700 rod for one may be no more economically significant than a $30 rod for another. That?s life.

I enjoy fly fishing. I also enjoy target shooting and golf. I?ve shot in some competitive events where it is not unusual to see $10,000+ shotguns ? and occasionally one above $50,000. Customized stocks, multiple chokes, entry fees, practice rounds and so on can add up to very significant additional expense. I have never heard anyone ask ?how many shotguns do you own? or ?why would you spend money on that, when a cheaper one can break targets just as well?. Likewise, no one has ever asked me ?how many $300 drivers do you own ? or need?. Where I come from, it?s just considered inappropriate and plain rude to do so. And who cares, anyway? (BTW, this is not intended as an attack on the thread?s author ? please don?t take it that way. Based on the number of responses and views, it?s obviously a topic of interest.)

Pervasive throughout the thread (and many others) is the notion that it?s somehow admirable to be cheap. With all of the giving people on this site, that notion doesn?t seem to fit.

So what is it about fly fishing? What is the big deal about the amount of money someone chooses to spend for their recreation? And why is being ?cheap? often worn as a badge of honor? (Said another way, why is there often a need to "apologize" for spending money on our passion?) The general public often equates fly fishers with ?elites? or ?snobs?. Is portraying an attitude of being ?cheap? a counter to that perception?

Just for the record ? it?s only my wife?s business to know what (or how) I choose to spend for my recreation??. And no matter how much that is, it?s clearly not enough