Quote Originally Posted by JohnScott View Post
My personal preference is for flies that have actually been fished with good results by the person posting the picture. A recipe is an added bonus for "original" patterns, not a necessesity, but a nicety, for established patterns.

John

Well said. Honestly, you've managed to put to words the sentiment I've been trying to convey.

It seems here that there is a lot of negativity ready to be directed at anyone who doesn't include a pattern. Everything from 'seeking adulation' to 'classless' to the eloquent 'dork'. I personally feel that it's fairly immature to look down on anyone who goes to the effort to share a picture that decides not to include a pattern for whatever reason. The way I look at it, feel free to share as much or as little as you like. If you only want to post a picture, then just post your picture, and that's fine. If someone gets angry with you for not including a bunch of background info, well that's on them.

I know that many times a picture is all I need. Just seeing someone's tie is often all it takes to inspire me at my own vise. And if someone has a photo capable of inspiring someone else, I'd hate to stifle their initiative to share because they're worried about offending someone.