NAME IT AND CLAIM IT

November 8, 2010

Fly fishers seem to be a pretty optimistic bunch and that is especially apparent in the current economy. Frankly I’m amazed we haven’t seen more complaining or downright bitterness on our bulletin boards. Sure, I know everyone is pretty much in the same boat - if you have a job you’re grateful and hope to hang onto it. Some have had to cut back on one thing or another, but over all I don’t see the gloom and doom here on FAOL that I’ve seen in other places (not necessarily fly fishing related.)

We saw a piece of 60 Minutes last night which said the ‘real’ unemployment in California is closer to 20% than 9% including all those whose benefits have run out and who have quit looking for work. That is a terrible number! For the most part that has nothing to do with the people who have lost their jobs at all, they got an education, a job, worked for a good company, bought a home, raised their kids much like the rest of us. And bam, it was over. Not their fault.

Things aren’t like that here in Livingston, Montana. (I realize that by the time you read this my husband Trav and I will be in Tucson Arizona settling in for the winter.) But I wanted to let you know not everywhere has the same problems. There just isn’t any industry here. There was a big employer some years back, the Burlington & Northern Railroad. They did pull out of here and it was a huge hit to the local economy. Somehow it was sold a time or two and became Montana Rail Link and it’s running here. Good thing as there are tons and tons on coal to be moved as well as tons and tons of grain. We need the railroad and the jobs it provides as well.

The downturn in the economy has affected the number of new homes being built here, and that doesn’t hurt my feelings as there are homes now which are in places I thought I’d never see a building. Money can do that. That money of course is good for the local economy and the good restaurants here are still as busy as they were a year ago. The local police, fire and sheriff’s departments are fully staffed and someone made a large donation so we could have a specially trained black German Sheppard drug dog (and it’s handler trained as well.) Life is pretty good here.

There are still folks coming in to fish, not as many drift boats on the river and the water levels are really down - fishing actually is really good. Trav and I fished the spring creek the last week in October before we left and the fish were very cooperative. They’ll get some rest, but the spring creeks all offer special winter rates, a tip of the hat to the locals and with a fire in the stoves in the Fisherman’s Huts (at least at DePuy) you can have a very lovely fishing experience even if the weather says it’s winter.

Maybe fly fishers are a little more conservative than the general population, and I’m sure there are exceptions to everything, but it does seem to be that as a group we didn’t fall into the name it and claim it trap which seems to have been the financial downfall of so many people. I’ve touched on the credit card fable here previously, but you can’t just go charging your dreams on a credit card and not expect to one day have to pay for it all. (Bonefish and credit cards in the case of my late husband) There is nothing wrong with living within your means. That my friends doesn’t mean you can’t fish and have a wonderful life because you can!

To be very serious here for a moment, we have all the fly rods we will ever need - and probably more than we’ll ever fish. My feelings would not be hurt if I never bought another fly rod. But I love fly rods. I love playing with them, casting them, comparing them, trying new ones, showing them to other folks. It’s just fun. Occasionally a new one shows up here, and I love it. Do I NEED another one? Yah right, you get that. So to sooth my conscience every once in a while we give one away for the Monthly Drawing. 

That way someone else gets to share the fun. Maybe we need to put some self-limits on ourselves.  

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