Wow. We fly fishermen are a testy lot.

Oh, and I don't own a Sage rod. Never have, never will. Why bother when you can own custom bamboo for the same or less (and you can.)

If we must be elitist, then for the record, graphite is for spinning rods. Real fly fishermen fish bamboo.

Heck, I would venture to say that there is very little difference in casting a 1/4oz. Dardevle and casting a #16 Red Royal Pompous Arse, at least in the essence of each. Fishing is fishing. We as fly fishermen need to get over ourselves.

Of course, in my opinion there is some human need to be better than the masses, at the top of the status heirarchy. It's why my parents blew their retirement on an Avion fifth wheel instead of a Fleetwood - they're the same thing, but one has STATUS... or at least they think so. It's why, when you travel to India, you are mobbed by [url=http://www.dalitnetwork.org/who.html:20384]Dalit children[/url:20384]. Someone decided they were better than them. Someone manufactured STATUS... It's why kids fight to be first in line on the playground...

So, I for one, don't buy STATUS. I don't purchase it either. Heck, I choose to drive a Dodge Neon. I could easily afford that Volvo or Audi, like the ones in my neighbors' garages, but it really doesn't do anything any better than my silver bullet, much to the neighbors' dismay. Utility. I drive. I fish.

I fly fish because it's fun for me. I'm not a better person than the guys in the sparkly boats that dress like stock car drivers, not a better fisherman than bubba and his home dug worms.

The reality is that nobody is better than those they look down upon, it's usually quite the opposite.

Go Fish.

-Gus

[This message has been edited by gstrand (edited 06 June 2005).]