IS IT JUST ME? - Neil - March 8, 2010

[flyguy66]

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

I'm glad it didn't come off argumentative, because the reason I answered the way I did was to further stoke the fire of thought along the same line. It is, in fact, the real issue as you stated: where is the proverbial line between innovation/advancement of the sport and deterioration of the essence of the sport?

We must remember that these "up coming generations" didn't do this to themselves. It was the constant bombardment by the grown-ups who run manufacturing companies, retail houses, and the media firms slamming them with "bigger, faster, more...bigger, faster, more...bigger, faster, more" that drove them to madness. Everyone under the age of 40 has been totally exploited for profit by their elders in a brutal and crass merchandizing culture that is ruthless in the pursuit of an extra dollar. Lie, cheat, steal - all's fair if it makes money. They've been taught from the cradle that drugs and tools will solve all of their problems and make up for any of their deficiencies. Want to play basketball like Michael Jordan? Buy his shoes. Want to win gold medals in the Olympics? Just eat Wheaties. Kid doesn't want to sit still or pay attention in school? Make him swallow one of these every morning. It permeates every aspect of life including fly fishing. Those of us who have been around for more than a few years get a few chuckles about the "new and improved" product offerings every year. But most anglers younger than me honestly believe with all sincerity that a company would not come out with a new product if it wasn't better in some way than the ones they already offer. The idea that a company might change the color of a fly line from orange to green, rename it, and call it a new product with no other changes or any improvement whatsoever just so they could raise the price or generate new "buzz" is considered "conspiracy theory." In fact, I've been called a conspiracy theorist in writing by an industry media exec for writing that - in spite of the fact that it is fairly common knowledge that these sorts of things (and much worse) happen all the time.