I really enjoyed reading the post about women in flyfishing, but my question is along the same lines but encompasses a different “group” of people. While I wish that everyone was judged for who they are without any preconceived notions, stereotypes or gender identities, this is not the case. So what I would like to know is why more minorities (African Americans/Mexican Americans, etc…) do not fly fish? And I will also say that this is from personal experience from my area, so I guess the other question is in your area do minorities fly fish? I noticed that Mr. Hise had a “fish-in” for a group of young ladies and from some of the pictures he posted there were some minorities. I personally find this sport one that emphasizes personal goals, personal challenges and personal achievments. Where else can you catch a fish on a rod you built, with a fly that you tied and a fish that you “stalked”, saw rising and put your fly exactly where it needs to be? I would think (I have no scientific data and being a pharmacist that is important when deciding on what drug regimens to reccommend) that fishing especially fly fishing would help keep kids off drugs, not get into trouble, and help them aspire for more than what they see everyday. What is your experience?
Drew
A bum-legged old man and a drunk. That’s all you got?
That’s WHAT I got.
The local fly fishing group here seems to be pretty diverse every time I make it to one of their meetings, seminars, or other get togethers. Nobody really seems to notice or care what race (or gender) the other club members are…they’re all just fishing buddies learning from each other and having fun.
Very nice point J.C. I forget that in the areas (even in history) where foraging and hunting/fishing for food was/is necessary for survival any means possible will be employed to guarantee that the food is there. I guess I never thought of it as “play”, but in correlation to countries/races who rely on fish for life, I can see how they would not want to fish for fun. But why is it that here in this country it has not “taken off” in the minority population? Is it social/cultural/etc…? I don’t know.
Drew
A bum-legged old man and a drunk. That’s all you got?
That’s WHAT I got.
Maybe, as you say, it has to do whith the need of people, in general, to stay focused on “making a living” that keeps them from “fun” fishing. I know my Dad would only fish to “keep”, and only fish when the fishing was reported to be “on”. We are very fortunate to have the option to play. Many do not.
And many do not care to have a “zen” thing about fishing.
…lee s.
I have been fly fishing exclusively for seven years now, and would never go back to flinging metal or plastic.
In this time, last season was the first time I’ve encountered a black FF’er. I saw him from a distance wading the edge of my “go-to” lake; but, the most noticable aspect was his southpaw casting with real distance!
I ventured over and said hello; he was somewhat aloof and didn’t seem to want to be bothered with small talk. Then, with the next hook-up, I could see why. He landed a nice 'gil and proceeded to pull up a stringer attached to his belt…on which was about a dozen bluegill.
After filling the stringer, he left! So, it seems to still be fishing for the table, not fun. Of course, he did get into a newer Lincoln Navigator, so he probably fishes for fun somewhere else!!!
Point being, it’s probably still a cultural thing. He was the exception; the rules usually have K-Mart spinning gear and a five-gallon bucket!
Women race in NASCAR, women ski competitive in the downhill, women wrestle, play football, are ELKS, LIONS members, women work at construction and are doctors. Women fight and die in wars for in our armed forces. A women could even be our next President. THERE ARE NO MORE GENDER GAPS. And that includes fly fishing. Get over it.
“In the Yuan period, the hermit fisherman became the symbol of the unemployed scholar…The true hermit scholar fished for fish, not fame; others merely pretended to fish while waiting to return to politics”
Shengmu (1310-1360)
I met a black guy here on the Little Red River in Arkansas several years ago, super nice guy and a good fisherman. He always called himself the token flyfisherman.
I am the first-generation son of immigrant parents. I got into fly fishing totally because of my own interest in it. I was exposed to it on TV shows when I was a kid and in the books and magazines that I read. When I was in my early twenties, I just dove into it with both feet.
I dragged my best friend at the time with me. He was Puerto Rican and like me, a fishing nut. After I joined T.U. he was reading down the list of names in the membership roster of my chapter. He said “How come there aren’t any Puerto Rican names on the list?” To which I replied “I don’t know, I should be asking you that”.
I don’t know where I going with this, but the point I was trying to make is that some people just do what they’re inclined to do, while others let themselves be steered by cultural or gender stereotypes.
Jonzee, what exactly was the point of your first post? I got the China post which was very interesting. But none of what you said in the post about women had anything what so ever about what was being discussed on this string. And the final “get over it”, what does that mean, did anywhere in my original post did I seem that I was against anything or felt that “women” should not fly fish? Interesting is that this string has nothing to do with women, unless they are minorities, and I don’t know of any minority women Nascar drivers. Strange post.
Drew
Thanks to the others who stayed on topic, very interesting and I think that is more of what I wanted is if indeed there are minorities who fly fish, I will have to visit the Salmon River in NY.
Drew
A bum-legged old man and a drunk. That’s all you got?
That’s WHAT I got.
Not only is play equipment a luxury, but time is a big one too. If you are in charge of your own time, you are indeed rich.
The Asian and African-American anglers I fish with are college educated working or retired professionals. The shore fishermen we see bucketing the panfish are definitely fishing for food. Given the local pollution levels and fish consumption advisories, this worries me a bit on their behalf.
But my flyfishing is a solitary sport, so seeing anyone, much less another woman or a person of color is something I try to make a rarity.
JC and I had an interesting convervation with the late Al Campbell one evening on this subject. Al had an acquaintance in Rapid City who he thought might be interested in learning fly fishing. When he invited the gentleman to go fishing with him, his friend replied, “Thanks, but that isn’t a black mans sport.”
It can be anyones sport of course, but perception is everything.
I never really noticed different nationalities on the river except one time, there was three foreigners fishing a stretch that I was ((sounded German) and they were not nice to our land at all. Left there garbage lying all over the shore. I tried to tell them but, the blank look of WHAT? so I picked it up and threw it in the back seat of their car.
I did have a customer from Orvis that was, shall we say dark. It didn’t matter cause he was a blast, but, it is rare around here.
Besides, in the summer I pay good money to get that dark LOL
An Afro-American I know took to flyfishing like a duck takes to water. He is a chef and a wire sculpter and has many more talents but he is so busy that we can seldom get out together.
Our club held about 6 lessons in fly tying and two out of 15 students were black. It’s new to them but they were avid and showed great promise.
I think that we’ll see more of the same in the future.
LF brings up a great point about when Mr. Campbell asked the gentleman and he replied it was not a “black man’s sport”. Without turning this strand into anything more than it is I wonder why he would say that? Are flyfisherman inherantly (or at least perceived) as elitist? I know that this topic has been driven into the ground, but for an African-American would it be perceived as even more so? Meaning if the tables were turned and myself as a white person walked up to a stream with 25 african-americans, how “social” would I perceive the situation? Sometimes even walking up to a stream with 25 white people on it if I am alone I feel a little uncomfortable going in. Certain people like to be alone, as one of the posters mentioned, and for the most part I really don’t go out of my way to find conversations on the stream, even though it is hard to beat a good friend, conversation and catching fish, which can lead to heading to a bar, campsite, etc… to enjoy a beer/cold drink/the day’s catch and more conversation. I really applaud and appreciate everyone’s contribution to this thread, of course on this site it is what I come to expect, and it is refreshing.
Drew
A bum-legged old man and a drunk. That’s all you got?
That’s WHAT I got.
![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/leesoares/tuna3loretta.jpg[/url:154e3]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/leesoares/tuna3loretta.jpg%5B/url:154e3%5D){kind=link}