Great points, Trav. The only thing you didn't say is that not all "industry folks" are hucksters and sensationalists, etc. Some never lose sight of the truth and even run their businesses according to those guiding principles. But they are RARE. Dave Whitlock comes to mind. There are others. Even in fly fishing media and literature there are some excellent examples of people who have learned to make a modest living in the fly fishing industry by focusing on the recreational aspects and shying away from schilling for the mfgs and big retailers. Gierach comes to mind. Many of the custom bamboo rodmakers specialize in OLD stuff instead of "new and improved." It's worth mentioning so that we don't paint with too broad of a brush. But I think you are right about the fundamental differences in attitude toward fly fishing. It's a quest to extract money or ego for some, but an opportunity to escape all of that stuff for the rest of us. And the majority of "industry folks" have completely lost sight of that escapism. Indeed, they are no longer providing the best service possible to their potential customer base once that happens. And...frankly...I feel sorry for the folks who cannot do anything without turning it into a human competition. I suspect they all die earlier than need be of strokes and heart attacks.