Since the dryfly thread seemed to be blurring over to another post I thought I should start a new one.

Ron eagle elk, I really like what you said. It really made me rethink about what I wrote. If you come out this way I would really like to meet you and fish together?

Truthfully I should have used the word "hooking" instead of "catching". It is a much better word to describe my feelings.

I too feel very fortunate to have been able to have done alot of great fishing in my lifetime.

If I Never caught another fish I really would not have any room to complain.

Myself, I really enjoy the challange of hooking the fish really more then actually catching them with the exception of a really big fish (If I can get a good look at it before it gets off that more then fine) or those days when any fish is hard to come by and you are just happy to get one in for the day.

I get just as much enjoyment from hooking a fish on a dry that I have been stalking for a hour as much as hooking a dozen trout in a hour while nymphing a riffle.

So hooking alot of fish is not my only goal but it is fun.

Truthfully I have no problem with people who refuse to fish nothing but dries as long as I am not guiding them.

As said before people pay alot of money for a guided trip and most people expect to catch fish. If the fish are rising then fish a dry, great.

But if you fish enough you learn that some days for whatever multitude of reasons the fish just won't come up for dries.

Usually I can convince a dryfly purist at this point to at least use a hopper/dropper set-up.

If not it usually makes for a long day.

IMO I think alot of this is due to stubbornness more then anything.

One thing I can promise, I do not walk up to someone on the river and critisize them for their fishing techniques.

If it is a friend I might give them a little bit of a hard time though.

Isn't that friends are for?

Rob