Are Warmwater Fishermen Different?

[Eight Thumbs]

I've been thinking about this question for the last couple of weeks and I thought I would throw it out to the group and get some different points of view.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked the members of this Warmwater BB if they considered themselves high end, medium or low end equipment user. Almost everyone listed themselves as a low-end tackle user. Many were quite proud of their frugal selections particularly those who used outfits under $50 or $60. Some of those who had higher priced outfits stressed that they had picked them up on sale or received them as a gift. Noticeably lacking were individuals who considered themselves high-end tackle users. We also lacked the usual letters virulantly defending high-end tackle purchases and suggesting that Dave Micus be burned at the stake. Both the saltwater board and general board had much more heated arguements about equipment prices.

Are warmwater anglers different from our trout, salmon, and saltwater comrades? If so, why do we tend to be satisfied with lower priced equipement?

Some of the reasons that I have considered:

Genuine poverty?

LMB and sunfish don't run that fast or
far?

Our cane pole tradition?

Lack of interest in new equipment
development and failure to see a need
to upgrade?

What do you think? I personally think that fighting style of LMB and sunfish may be the major reason. The lack of highspeed runs means that most warmwater fish can be handled with low-end equipment. I seldom play warmwater fish from the reel. Please don't misunderstand my point. I'm not saying these fish are not challenging (and fun) to catch but only that they don't put the strain on tackle that occurs in salmon, large trout and saltwater fishing. Just my 2% of a dollar. What's your 2 cents on the subject? 8T

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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.

[MOturkE]

I don't know why the low-enders exist in fly fishing, but there are a lot of Bass anglers who'll nearly sell their house for a high-end boat and tackle. Maybe the fly angler is just a bit more conservative - low-end, because he's more creative - and able to make do because he's more confident that he can do things himself. Not to forget, confident that what he has, regardless of value, will catch as good a fish as anything on the top shelf.


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There's almost nothin' wrong with the first lie, it's the weight of all the others holdin' it up that gets ya'! - Tim

not to start anything, but to me it seems many trout fishermen, of which I am as well, want to "be seen". You've heard the term "Orvis boy"? A guy on a farm pond isn't so worried about his image.

[RexW]

Boats are expensive and tend to eat up a large portion of the fishing equipment budget...

Rex

[nowindknots]

When you are the only fly fisher around, it's easy to be snobbish with your $30 rod.

Seriously, When I first started, it was closer to your theory of the cane pole tradition. I just couldn't justify $1000 for tackle to catch fish I had caught all my life with less expensive gear. Before I took up fly fishing, other than a well stocked tackle box, the most expensive piece of fishing gear I owned was an Garcia 5500C reel.

Almost a decade later I have rods that vary greatly in price, and value. But I can't see myself buying one of those really expensive, fancy painted reels.

And I still fish most often with a four piece four weight I built on a $15 blank from rod-banks.com.

Fits like an old pair of sneakers.

Jim

[teasels]

I guess maybe I fit the bill of the low ender but my favorite rod was a combo rod reel line backing sleeve 129 on sale at cabelas last year. I have used martin and shakespere from walmart for so long. I hope this doesn't move me into the purist class. (i'm still one a dem der PO FOK)

[PanFisher]

When I first got into Fly Fishing I was a member of a tournament-casting club. I built my first rod and it was pretty good but not competitive enough - so I built another that would be more competitive. Then I had to build another to be even more competitive. After about five years of this I had become fairly competitive in my casting and had a closet full of junk rods that just didn?t cast that well.

One day I decided to take a few out to give them a try. WOW! To my amazement they had really learned how to cast quite well just sitting in my closet! Or maybe it wasn?t the rod but five years of casting practice that made the difference.

I once built a cheap blank to look identical to a high-end expensive model. I had access to slip it in with a number of the real model during a trade show. None of the casters trying out the rods ever noticed the rod missing the label! They would try one size and then another to eventually cast mine. They could not tell the difference. In fact a few wanted to buy mine right on the spot at full price without even noticing that the label was missing.

I could tell the difference in the rods because of the tournament casting experience I had but most casters could not. If I were to get back into tournament casting I would spend the money because there is a difference.

However I do not believe the average Fly Fisherman can tell the difference and I also believe the action of the cheaper rods while not being as conducive to casting sometimes do make better fishing rods than the expensive models. When fishing I will at times prefer the more comfortable casting for the accuracy and distance.


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Let No One Walk Alone
><))))'>------<'((((><
Bill

[PCRusty]

Maybe it's just a gathering of the frugal. I know when I used to shoot, I learned to reload my own ammo after a short time. This was due to the cost saving. After I started reloading, to be even more frugal I started casting my own bullets.
Fly fishing is no different. If I was going to wave the wand the next logical thing seemed to be learning to tie. I'm still learning but I seek out ways to save $$$. Look at something and think about how it can be Incorporated into a fly.
My most recent victory was finding a 4 pc 4 wt. in the bargain barrel at my local outdoor shop for $15. He had 5 wt wf floating line for $5, and I bought a new Martin reel for $12.95. I wanted something really cheap to throw in my truck in case I came upon some water that just had to be fished. Having spent very little on the outfit, if something were to happen to it at least I wouldn't be too heart broken.

Rusty <><

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if you wanna catch something ya gotta get a hook in the water

[MOturkE]

Along these same lines with PCRusty, my neighborhood has a reputation for cutting open my Jeep windows and helping themselves to my stuff. If I happen to leave a rod in there I'd rather it wouldn't be an expensive one. So, this warmwater angler isn't just cheap and frugal, I'm careful, too.
So far the neighbors have helped me get rid of a new CD/stereo and a pair of insulated overalls I needed for my construction job. And only for the price of replacing the plastic windows in the Jeep soft-top, and higher insurance rates! Thanks neighbors!!!
If I were a bit wealthier I'd buy a neighborhood, not fishing gear.


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There's almost nothin' wrong with the first lie, it's the weight of all the others holdin' it up that gets ya'! - Tim

[Russ C]

I can think of two factors. One, if you are going to go down to the local pond or lake and fly fish, you are probably not given to pretention (or else you would drive to some "name" trout stream) or you are more willing to march to the beat of your own drum, and not listen to marketing telling you what rod to buy.

Second, trout and saltwater fishing make better magazine and book copy--it is hard to write about bass and bluegill in the same way that people write exhaustively about matching hatches or the latest craze in salt water. So, the less we read about WW fly fishing, the less impressed we are with this rod or that rod--tackle becomes less important than actually fishing.

Plus, we can fish MUCH more often than the average trouit or salt water fisher that has to travel. More time fishing, less time thinking about tackle.

Panfisher, that was a very funny post about sneaking the rod into the tackle show.

Russ