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Thread: IS IT JUST ME? - Neil - March 8, 2010

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    Default IS IT JUST ME? - Neil - March 8, 2010

    IS IT JUST ME?

    I?m not exactly certain when it started, but the idea of putting something on your leader to enable you to detect a strike when you were fishing a nymph opened up an entire new nuance in the world of fly-fishing.

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    I'd imagine that a fly angler from the 19th century would say much the same about some of your fly tackle and gear and that a fly angler from the 18th century would say the same about the chap from the 19th century. It is the nature of all pursuits that human creativity is applied to make things easier, more comfortable, more efficient, etc. Only traditionalism and nostalgia temper this relentless application of technological and technical innovation to relieve human effort. It's no different than the fish trying to expend the least amount of energy possible while consuming the most food energy possible as a survival instinct. It's the same drive: do as little as you can for as much as you can get. Human beings are the ONLY creatures with ANY tendancy to the contrary. And that is because of our superior abstract intellect and complex emotions.

    P.S. I don't mean this to sound argumentative regarding the use of strike indicators. I use them sometimes and don't at others. I consider it just another tool in the box used to solve problems. I never put anything on my line that I don't think I need to: extra flies, weight, longer leader, knots, loops, indicators, etc. I try to practice the KISS principle.
    Last edited by flyguy66; 03-08-2010 at 06:23 PM. Reason: add disclaimer

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    Neil, no it's not just you!! I feel the same as you. I donot use(bobbers), OH sorry strike indicators when nymph fishing. I learned how to detect strikes by watching the end of the fly line. Do I miss some strikes. Most likely, but for me that is ok.

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    Flyguy,

    Your comment did not sound argumentative. The reason that I continue to raise questions about where fly fishing is going is to cause people to think. While I agree "It is nature of all pursuits that human creativity is applied to make things easier, more comfortable, more efficient, etc. " however my question is when do these tendencies change the very nature of the practice. Is it still fly-fishing if I put a bit of bait on my hook? Is it fly-fishing if, rather than using a fly rod I use a bait casting rod?

    Since it seems to me that since its inception that fly fishers have consciously have been willing to accept that fly-fishing is not the easiest way to catch fish. Even rudimentary fly-fishing requires the learning of certain skills that are totally unnecessary if you are going to fish with bait. [Casting and fly selection are just a couple] To go beyond the mere basics of fly-fishing is a long and often steep learning curve. A truly proficient practioner of the sport of fly-fishing has spent countless hours on the stream, reading books and articles on the sport, tying flies, studying the foods that fish eat, practicing different casts, and generally working on perfecting their skills. It is a life time pursuit.

    What concerns me is that the upcoming generation has missed the basic premise of fly-fishing. Like so many other things in our world it seems that too many people desire to receive the benefits without doing the work.

    The Chronicler

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    Lots of what passes as fly-fishing today looks more like the type of fishing that I did as a kid when a can of worms and a bobber were the two essentials for success.
    You mean then, that I've ALWAYS been a fly fisher? Worms and Bobbers!!!!

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    Yep, just a matter of definition I guess.

    The Chronicler

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    Neil,

    I totally agree with all that you stated in your article and feel the following lines are the most important:

    "What concerns me is that the upcoming generation has missed the basic premise of fly-fishing. Like so many other things in our world it seems that too many people desire to receive the benefits without doing the work."
    Warren
    Fly fishing and fly tying are two things that I do, and when I am doing them, they are the only 2 things I think about. They clear my mind.

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    Default Benefits...

    Not sure I agree with that last one.
    For me the benefit is two fold. First a day out with nature, and second (with luck) a tasty fish meal.

    Does it really matter that you caught dinner with a bobber, an indicator, a synthetic line, or a store bought fly with some new material that fish can't avoid?

    Like a previous post by flyguy66 alluded to, take it back a few centuries or more. If you are going to be a purist, be like the bear. Go catch the fish with your hands. After all, using a hook or a net is just plain cheating. Them new fangled spears are pushing the limit of the sport of fishing too you know

    --Ron--

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    Quote Originally Posted by rtidd View Post
    Not sure I agree with that last one.
    For me the benefit is two fold. First a day out with nature, and second (with luck) a tasty fish meal.

    Does it really matter that you caught dinner with a bobber, an indicator, a synthetic line, or a store bought fly with some new material that fish can't avoid?

    Like a previous post by flyguy66 alluded to, take it back a few centuries or more. If you are going to be a purist, be like the bear. Go catch the fish with your hands. After all, using a hook or a net is just plain cheating. Them new fangled spears are pushing the limit of the sport of fishing too you know

    --Ron--
    Have you ever tickled a trout? My Dad could do it. I never got the knack. He could spot the fish up under a cut, reach in and stroke it's belly. It kind of hypnotized the fish and he could take hold and pull it out. No fuss, no muss. Coolest fishing technique I ever saw.
    Kevin


    Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.

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    Well said, Neil.

    TT

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