CONFESSIONS - Neil - September 6, 2010

[rtidd]

CONFESSIONS

Recently the Ladyfisher and I took a day trip to West Yellowstone, Montana to attend the Federation of Fly Fishers Fly Fishing Fair & Conclave. The last Conclave that I attended was here in Livingston in 2006. There was the normal cadre of fly tiers working their magic for the benefit of the crowds, some casting ponds out back of the exhibit hall, some drift boats on the front lawn, and a small assortment of vendors inside the main exhibit hall. Not much has changed except it seemed smaller, the crowds were sparser, and most of the attendees [including yours truly] were several years older.

[rookie]

Well said Neil. Thank you.

[Rick Z]

My casts are not pretty, can't double haul and most of my flies are ugly. PTN are tied with longer tails and thinner bodies. Fish still seem to like them.

Rick

[rodgerole]

I'll probably always be a tyro when it comes to tying and fly fishing, but I do have fun.
Thanks for letting me hear that not everyone has to be an expert. Fishing for fun, what a unique idea!!
Good article, Neil.
Thanks,Rodger

[Denny]

One of the best articles we have had in many years!
Thanks Neil.

[Flyfisher121]

Wow,

Very well put, Thanks for the fresh breeze sensability...that we often see here!
Flyfisher121

[Jackster]

Being that for most of us fly casting is such an intregral part of this sport/hobby of fly fishing, why not be the best you can be at it?
It's like a friend of mine says, "I catch all of my fish within 20' " to which I wonder how many more he would catch if he could cast effectively to 30 or 40'... or learn to do ariel mends... or reach casts... or...
The certification process for fly casting can be, and in my opinion is a good thing. It means that an instructor has a proven ability to show good casts as well as show poor casts and provide the means to remedy the poor casts. For what it's worth, the double haul isn't just for distance, it is a very useful tool to have to cast normal distances with much less effort, or fight the wind, or tuck a tight loop under an overhanging rhodo.
As much as many would like to belive, there is no downside to casting well.

As for the conclave, it broke my heart I couldn't make it out to W. Yellowstone this year. I usually base around there every August and to have the conclave there again this year! Rats!

[LadyFisher]

Jackster, would have loved to have seen you. Keep on casting my friend - there is no downside to casting well.
Hugs,
LF

[fishingnewsman]

Well said Neil. I don't agree with the way things have gone either and I am a fly fishing instructor.

[fishdog54]

Neil,

I have to agree with most of what you have conveyed. Once you have the basics mastered you WILL catch plenty of fish and have a ton of fun doing so. When I first started fly fishing & tying I used less than 6 patterns and caught plenty of fish. I was even able to sell those flies to other fishermen who saw that I was doing so well!!!LOL BTW, I was 12 or 13 yrs. old at the time. Did I have to progress any further than that to catch fish? Not really!!! I graduated from a Shakespeare Wonder rod(8 1/2' 8wt -a real girder) to a 6' 5wt. Fenwick glass rod which I threw everything including size 4 streamers with. When you only own one rod you adapt. Many folks stop at this stage for awhile or even permanently and are quite content. Good for you! I don't have that kind of self restraint. I have the tendency to go overboard!!!! Some folks say you can never have too many fishing rods! From personal experience I must disagree!!!LOL Whoa! did I just break some kind of unwritten rule by just admitting that!!! Anyway, the wonderful thing about any kind of fishing, but particularly fly fishing is that there are any number of directions you can take if you are inclined to - rod building/net making/leader tying/making your own rod tubes/reel bags/rod sleeves , even your own hooks. If you get bored with one facet of fly fishing there are always a trove of other areas to pique your interest and imagination, enough to last several life times. Enjoy! You know, now that I think of it, this FAOL site itself is surely a part of that whole experience!!!!!

Best regards, Dave S. (fishdog54)