Quote Originally Posted by chase creek View Post
We need to get the "elite" and "mystery" out of flyfishing. After all, isn't it just another way to catch fish?
I think this thread is very representative of the best point to be made, but the excerpt I pulled from your post is not.

I believe that what we need is to strike a balance that accurately represents the truth of fly fishing to the non-fly fishing public. And we're not very good at it at all.

When you go to teach introductory fly fishing classes it is inappropriate to take anything other than low-end consumer rod/reel combos and inexpensive fly tying stuff (unless you're teaching at some high-end country club or similar environment). Media outlets need to balance their coverage of the sport and lifestyle better, representing all aspects of fly fishing (unless they are a specialized publication). How many articles do we see on rods and reels that cost $500-900 each? Yet, rods and reels that sell for $200 and less outpace those items in terms of units sold by a huge margin year after year! It would be a far better service to the consumer public to inform them about which products are best and for what reasons in the price ranges that they actually buy in the highest volume than it is to focus on the purchasing elite, but they're chasing the quick ad dollars. Well, if their reader base was a lot bigger they would attract more ad revenue. Readers don't read irrelevant publications. The media is making itself increasingly irrelevant by taking this short-term "ad agency" approach to profitability instead of taking a longer-term and more professional approach to journalism. Instructors (certified or not) need to make sure we stay student-focused instead of allowing our egos and our own current predilections to get in the way of their learning experiences. We have to put ourselves in their waders (so to speak) and remember not to "over-teach." But the single biggest thing every fly angler can do to make fly fishing seem more accessible to non-fly anglers is to invite people to join you. Take a buddy fishing! Teach a kid or disabled person to fish! Keep it light-hearted, simple, and fun.