ENTITLEMENT? - Ladyfisher - March 7, 2011

[tailingloop]

Let us face some disturbing perceptions about our sport. Two of the biggest ones:

Fly fishermen are wealthy elitists that judge others not by their fishing skills, but by the gear they are able to pruchase.

Owning that 'new' rod (or reel, waders, vests, etc.) is not about how it fishes, but how it 'looks' to the people who see you fish.

Basically, what these two 'perceptions' indicate, whether true or not, is that the image of fly fishing has become similar to the one of Hollywood celebrity. Seeing who can out shine their peers on the red carpet. ...

The point is hype and marketing vs. skill and personal preference. A fella can spend all he wants on a fly rod, but if he can't make an accurate curve cast or a reach cast and maintain a drag-free drift, he's going to have to pass up a lot of fish. But a kid who learns to do those things with a $40 combo from Wal-Mart will fish circles around him.

There are just more folks in our society today who would rather look like they have stuff than who would rather actually be able to do stuff.

Unfortunately it seems flyfishing has been tagged with these perceptions but not other types of angling. Yet the same basic characteristics of these perceptions can be applied to other types of anglers included bass, inshore, and bluewater circles. At least so it seems here in southern California where we see a lot of people that have to have the latest $500 dropshot rod or $600 spinning reel or $750 casting reel. I have been a part of conversations where guys with $50K bass boats who go on the water with rod lockers full of high end rods and reels rigged with $100 lures, and who wouldn't be caught using more pedestrian gear, yet refer to fly anglers and the fly angling industry as a whole as elitist and exclusive.

Flyguy66 pretty much summed up perfectly with a couple of basic truths that apply to so many activities or endeavors, whether it be flyfishing, or bass fishing with gear, or photograpy, of softball, etc.


As flyguy66 illustrated in an example, certain elements of the flyfishing industry are not always helpful to their own cause and if often seems that many in the industry are out of touch from the typical fly angler with a modest budget. On the water my friends and I are often engaged by other anglers who are interested in fly fishing. Many have looked into it but been put off by spiels they received from reps at sportsmans shows or even shops and see fly angling as too expensive. After a few discussions about equipment and tactics, maybe a loan of some gear and some friendly and free instruction, and gift of a few flies often those perceptions are erased. Some are even later seen on the water with fly tackle.