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"We're having a big fund raiser for Cancer research, the money will go to
a good cause. We invite all of those of you who have Cancer to attend.
There will be an admission charge, of course, and
some experts on hand to give you pointers on how to cope with your illness.
(There will also be a charge for that information, but
remember it will go to help others who have it.")
What?
"We're having a big fund raiser for Aids Research, the money will go to a good
cause. We invite all of those of you who have Aids to attend. There will be
an admission charge, of course, and some experts on hand to
give you pointers on how to cope with your illness. (There will also
be a charge for that information, but remember it will go to help
others who have it.")
You're kidding, right?
"We're having a big fund raiser for fly-fishing, the money will go to a good cause.
There will be an admission charge, of course, and some experts
on hand to give you pointers on how to improve. (There will also be a charge
for that information, but remember it will go to help others.")
Wonderful, I have to pay again!
We just finished Fish-In 2001. There was no charge. A full week of any and
all information and instruction anyone wanted and then some. It was free. We
did it to help promote fly-fishing. There was a ten buck fee to join American Casting
Association for a year if you wanted to be in the sanctioned Casting Competition.
That is their money, we got nothing; nor did we want any of it. Some paid for
the dinner on Saturday, that too went to those producing it, not us. We try to
bring you all the help we can, make it possible for many of you to share your
ideas and information on here and to promote the future of our sport.
We have made several attempts to get the involvement of some of the top
organizations here in the U.S. in our efforts. We offered to one that we would
make our bulletin board available to them so any of their chapters could use
it for notices of meetings. Local meetings; I would even make a separate
section for them. No deal, they said, they would do it themselves. That would
be nice, but so far they haven't - been three years now, we're still watching
that one. We have offered all types of free service and help to all of them,
all of which has been declined, sometimes even respectfully.
None of them, of course, in any way help or support us. That is not what they
do with the money. They do other 'good things' with it. We support them all we
can anyway. One of them uses the tax money you pay on your sporting gear,
same thing, they will do it their way, no thanks.
One group is holding an event soon. There will be the 'Great and near-great' there,
showing how wonderful they are. For an additional fee they
will talk directly with you and help you with your casting if you cough up enough
dollars. Oh yes, you must pay to watch them perform as well.
Yup, you, the very guys who they claim to be holding the event for! They are
raising money from you to help you!
I'm not sure where this all started, perhaps it was the fly-shop owners who could not
make enough off of you on merchandise so they sell you lessons; and you pay for
them. A good friend of mine in Montana (the oldest Sage dealer in the U.S., Bob Jacklin)
has been giving free lessons every Sunday evening for decades. It seems to work,
he sells a lot of stuff to guys who have learned from him. I suppose if you are a
fly-shop owner and need the money you have no choice. Be a guru, charge
for everything.
I will not attend the event I mentioned. These organizations are tax-exempt
and are charged with a mission as such. Not to be self-serving, but to promote
the sport, not soak those who wish information. There should be NO
charge for attendance and no charge to get help with any part
of your fly-fishing, period. Fly-fishing schools, classes and other private doings
are one thing, but not for the very organizations who beg for your bucks so
they can do great things.
Great things for whom? ~ James Castwell
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