When A Rose Is NOT A Rose
By Neil M. Travis, Montana
I have arrived at the enviable age when I can proudly
say that I'm an old geezer. Thus I have attained the
privilege of being opinionated, a privilege properly
reserved for those among us that have been there and
done that. With over 55 years of fishing experience,
and with 40 plus years of fly-fishing experience carved
out of those years I believe that I have obtained the
necessary time and grade to postulate an informed opinion
on things pertaining to sports fishing in general and
fly-fishing in particular.
Shakespeare wrote that 'a rose by any other name would
smell as sweet,' and while that might be true of roses
such cannot be said of other things. Just as fine dining
is different than eating a burger and fries at a fast
food joint, so is real fly-fishing different than merely
a method of catching fish.
I have concluded that, in general, sport fishing can be
broken down into two basic components - method and purpose.
It can hardly be argued that fly-fishing is, nor was it
ever intended to be, the most effective method of catching
fish. Nets, dynamite, and a host of other less delicate
methods will put more fish on the stringer than fly-fishing.
If the purpose of fly-fishing was not intended to be the most
effective way of catching fish then the reason for fly-fishing
must be found in the method.
I recently retired after 23 years as a criminal and civil
law judge in Montana. During my extended tenure on the bench
one of the things that always pricked my interest, especially
in criminal cases, was the motive of the offender. This was
especially true when I was dealing with youthful offenders,
particularly those that had been arrested for the first time.
Remarkably, most could not tell me a reason, and the most
common answer was, "I don't know." The mere fact that they
could not articulate a reason, any reason, was quite
interesting and troubling to me. When a person begins to act
without cognitive thought behind their action they have entered
a dangerous place. That is what I believe has happened to
fly-fishing.
Whatever has caused the spike of interest in fly-fishing
in the last couple decades has created a plethora of would
be fly-flingers that I suspect do not have a clue why they
are fly-fishing except that it is cool, they saw a movie,
or it just is the 'in thing' to do. I have watched in horror
as some guy, clutching a fly rod, jumped into his pontoon
boat that was festooned with more gadgets and do-dads than
a sea-going sports fisher headed out for a day of deep-sea
fishing. Strapped on the rear was an electric trolling motor;
at the ready were a fish finder, GPS system, recording
thermometer, and even a two-way radio for communications
with his buddies in their boats. The flies in his fly box
looked more like lures that had a bit of fur and yarn
attached. Any day now I expect to see a pontoon boat
equipped with down riggers!
What's wrong with this picture? Hewitt, Gordon, Skues,
Marinaro, Schwiebert, and a host of other greats both
past and present would be quick to answer, "It may be
fishing, but it's not fly-fishing!" These greats knew
that fly-fishing is not a pragmatic sport, but a sport
that measures success not by the method but by the
motive. It is the practice of the sport of fly-fishing,
using methods that require skills that need to be learned
by practice and not by mechanical means. There are no
shortcuts, no winking at traditions, no close enough
is good enough attitude, and certainly no trolling
motors or fish finders.
Some might argue that they are using flies, they do
catch fish, and the technique does work. As they
proceed to troll up and down using their electric
motors for propulsion they look just like the guys
fishing hardware. They don't have to be great casters,
accuracy and presentation are unnecessary skills,
imitation is an afterthought, and most of the other
skills once thought essential for a person to call
themselves fly-fishers are completely lacking. They
are nothing but glorified lure flingers using
fly-fishing equipment.
If you see yourself in this description, and you are
offended that I have labeled you a glorified lure
flinger you will find me unapologetic. I've paid my
dues, and I don't need or want fish finders, trolling
motors, or other electronic marvels to enhance my
fly-fishing. I spent time learning about casting,
and hours of practice to perfect it because that
is one of the essential components of fly-fishing.
I learned about what fish eat, and how to tie
imitations that resemble those food items. I learned
about how fish live, where they feed, and how to
present a fly in a manner that resembles their
natural food. I've been there and done that, and I
even have the shirt! If I wanted to catch trout by
trolling with an electric motor and locating the fish
with a fish finder I'd buy a V-hulled aluminum boat
with a trolling motor, a tackle box full of spoons
and flashers, and a stout trolling rod. It would be
effective, but about as much fun as watching grass
grow.
Before you knot your rope and start searching for a
sturdy tree to hang me from understand that I own a
pontoon boat; oars or fins propel it. I do fish with
imitations that resemble leeches, damsel and dragonflies,
and a variety of other patterns tied to imitate natural
trout food forms. I present these imitations in the most
natural way possible in locations where my study and
experience tell me that trout may be feeding. In short,
I am a fly-fisher both in practice and motive.
When is a rose not a rose? When it looks and smells
like a skunk cabbage, and unfortunately I see a lot
of people disguised as fly-fishers that smell a lot
like skunk cabbage to my nose. ~ Neil M. Travis, Montana/Arizona
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