Flyguy,

Your comment did not sound argumentative. The reason that I continue to raise questions about where fly fishing is going is to cause people to think. While I agree "It is nature of all pursuits that human creativity is applied to make things easier, more comfortable, more efficient, etc. " however my question is when do these tendencies change the very nature of the practice. Is it still fly-fishing if I put a bit of bait on my hook? Is it fly-fishing if, rather than using a fly rod I use a bait casting rod?

Since it seems to me that since its inception that fly fishers have consciously have been willing to accept that fly-fishing is not the easiest way to catch fish. Even rudimentary fly-fishing requires the learning of certain skills that are totally unnecessary if you are going to fish with bait. [Casting and fly selection are just a couple] To go beyond the mere basics of fly-fishing is a long and often steep learning curve. A truly proficient practioner of the sport of fly-fishing has spent countless hours on the stream, reading books and articles on the sport, tying flies, studying the foods that fish eat, practicing different casts, and generally working on perfecting their skills. It is a life time pursuit.

What concerns me is that the upcoming generation has missed the basic premise of fly-fishing. Like so many other things in our world it seems that too many people desire to receive the benefits without doing the work.

The Chronicler