Is Fly Fishing a Dying Sport?

[jsalkas]

I think the future of fly fishing is firmly established, especially in areas where it was previously not popular. Fly-fishing for Carp and Bluegill is available anywhere in the continental US and is much more exciting than chucking bait.

[rriver]

Does any one have real numbers (just curious). I remember looking at the license purchases counts in Oregon, and they map to the size of the fish runs, mostly. That said, the number of licenses purchased in the 70's and 80's is way above what it is now.

I can count the number of regular fly fishers in my general area on one hand. And, I'm only 15 miles from Morrison's Lodge, rated one of the top 100 fishing lodges in North America.

I think I read a stat where the average age of a new fly fisher is 40 or around that age.

------------------
- rriver


[This message has been edited by rriver (edited 14 October 2005).]

[danbob]

I sure seem to see lots of college kids and 20-somethings on the river these days. And Jr High and High School kids with their Dads and Moms. Then there's magazines like The Drake, which I really like, focused on younger flyfishers and with zero where-to-go and how-to -fish-it articles....their attitude seems to be that half the fun of flyfishing is figuring out the good places to go on your own.

I live in a area with lots of rural and remote places -- I wonder if most of it has to do with how much or little outdoor education kids get these days. My parents were always camping, hiking, backpacking and fishing, same for our whole family. We even did that stuff in school as part of certain classes, and as extra-curricular activities. Outdoor education is the first thing to be cut at schools, right before band. Sad, really. If parents don't go out and enjoy the outdoors, their kids never will either.

DANBOB
1st fish pole, age 6
1st spinning rod, age 8
1st fly rod age 12.
Fishing now, age 38: at least one day per week.

[rriver]

That reminds me of articles in the paper about how the kids have nothing to do, which causes drug use, crime, etc. If I would have lived here as I kid I would have thought I was in heaven. We drove 500 miles from Canton, Ohio to Perth, Ontario to our island cabin to fish when I was young. (or maybe we walked barefoot in the snow, I forget).

------------------
- rriver

[Marco]

While I don't have a philosophical perspective or ANY statistics at my disposal, I just cannot believe that flyfishing is a dying sport. "Dying" implies that it will someday be dead. NO WAY. How can something so soul satisfying usually done in the most beautiful environment possibly vanish out of existence. Maybe there is a lull in interest but let's all take advantage in that and enjoy the extra room on the streams etc.while it lasts.
Perhaps not a real good time to invest in a flyshop but a great time to enjoy the elbow room. It's just a business/economic/interest cycle and like all cycles, comes back around.

Mark

------------------
I'd rather be in Wyoming!




[This message has been edited by Marco (edited 14 October 2005).]

[brhokla]

Well, As a recently converted to Fly Fishing person I figure that the spin cast and Bass fishing gets the most attention due to the TV. More shows support Bass fishing and that sport than Fly Fishing. I rarely ever see Fly-Fishing on TV. I do however think it would gain popularity if it was put on the screen more. Personally I can't figure out how I ever fished before without using the fly-rod. It's simply not even fun spin fishing anymore. I personally think Kids like the sport when introduced. My 7 yr old is starting to learn to cast a fly rod and he likes it. What about this IMAX fly fishing acrross America movie I hear about? When will that come out? I think more people are interested in this type of sport than we even think. They just haven't been introduced yet.

[oldfrat]

I haven't been fly fishing for all that many years, but I see plenty of young folks when I go out here in Colorado. And two-thirds of my sons, introduced to fly fishing in their late teens/early 20's, enjoy it.

Kids today have a lot more entertainment and recreation opportunities than I had growing up. And they've been exposed to a lot of things I was shielded from growing up. But I don't see the huge differences in the generations that other seem to see.

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

I don't think so , I see more flyfishers now than I used to when I was a kid . I see lots of young people flyfishing on the lakes around here . Some lakes are trophy C&R single barbless hook flyfish only . I believe that helps get newbies started in the sport .

[EdD]

No less a solid, common sense magazine than "Fur-Fish-Game" had this leading off in their "Question Box" column this August.
Q: "What is a good summer fly-fishing lure for bass in lake full of lily pads?"

This magazine is the apothesis of the local guy's magazine on hunting, fishing, and trapping. The picked a fly-fishing question to lead off their August Q&A column. I think that proves that the long rod has expanding appeal. BTW, FFG is worth looking at as a general sports mag, not just trapping.
Ed

[This message has been edited by EdD (edited 19 October 2005).]

[xisintheend]

Hey, Im not even a adult yet and I enjoy fly fishing alot more than I do killing the computer or the video games. My favorite day of the week is always the Saturdays because I get to go out and fish for some trout and have fun with my best two buddies and our dad's. Nothing better than going out into the nature and spending some time away from it all. In fact I just got out of bed because I can't fall asleep due to my inpatience of just laying around and waiting for the alarm clock to wake me up, so right now I will do something more useful than sleeping and go tie me some more wolley buggers and enjoy my day fishing in a few hours.

Marko