O.K. so now I have come to realize that I might be a fly fishing snob. Foam flies with beadhead flies as droppers,quite a killing machine. I refuse to do it. Call me old fashioned, call me a purist, call me a snob.Maybe I just don’t want to know how many fish I’ve been missing, but it’s kinda like peeking at presents before Christmas, all the mystery is gone. It dosen’t seem a sporting way to catch trout, kinda like fishing for bluegills with a bobber with your kid, it’s great for the kid and fun to watch the expression on the child’s face, but for a grown man ,well you get the idea. Not that I’m advocating the banning of the practice, everyone has the right to fish as they see fit. To wet fly fisherman like myself, banning fishing techniques leaves a bad taste in my mouth, Halford and all. I guess though , I’ve become a snob, I don’t see the sport in it.
Take care , Jim
I’m in no way offended by your statements and personal preferences in fly
fishing. Many of us approach fly fishing
in different ways. Some like the historical
or sporting aspects and consider it a
gentlemans (or gentle ladies) sport. Others
see the effectivness of flyfishing over
other means of catching fish. Some are
strictly wet or dry and some mostly go with
the foamies. The bottom line though is that
we have all found a niche in the sport that
works for us. In my opinion, it’s all good.
My personal preference is to simplify
flyfishing to it’s lowest common denominator
and approach it from a minamalist stand point. But if you want to take 20 pounds of
related gear and flies in your vest, good
on ya. Just ain’t me.G Warm regards, Jim
[This message has been edited by Jim Hatch (edited 11 February 2005).]
JC,
I really liked your reply to this post. I fish mostly with wet flies but I would never tell a dry fly fisherman about it. I used to dream about casting my Dave’s Hopper over 20 inch brown trout but I got greedy and decided that I wanted to catch more fish and lo and behold soft hackle flies became a part of my inventory. What is confusing is that these flies are such a simple tie but they catch fish. Catching fish on the surface is great but there is a lot going on under the surface.
Doug WL OR
“Whatever trips your trigger” as the old saying goes. Fishing has to be to each person in order for that person to feel like they are fishing. I detect no slightest hint of true snobbery (looking down one’s nose at others’ practices) so I am sorry but you really are not a snob at all, just someone who knows the definition of the game that gives them the biggest bang for their buck.
Why is it that in fly fishing it is always the same “fight” between dry fly fisherpersons and wet fly fisherpersons? Why can’t we all just fish the way we want to and enjoy it and leave the other person alone? I fished bass tournaments for 30+ years before turning to fly fishing and never heard this bickering going on between the spinnerbait fishermen and the crankbaiter or the plastic worm fishermen and the surface bait fishermen. We all fished our way that worked for us and left the other person alone. Maybe you all are just “picking” on each other in fun and I am taking it wrong. I fish with a wet fly or a nymph and that’s the way I enjoy my fishing. I really fish for the peace and quiet of the river and have tried the dry and do not enjoy it as much as nymphing. Let’s just all enjoy our way for as long as we can because the way the human race is treating the environment our streams will not be with us for long and all of this peace and quiet and fun will be gone. Just my opinions.
Shouldn’t this be on the sound off board? I mean, you just called all of us who fish with indicators and beadheads unsporting and childish. If I was easily offended, I might be upset with this post. Good thing I am not easily offended.
Pat yourself on the head, because you are a better man than I.
I took the brother of my daughters friend out fishing yesterday . She is an exchange student from Japan,and her brother was visiting her. He had never flyfished before and I had to show him how to cast a fly using pantomime!! We caught a couple and at the end of the day he brought out his translator after I had said we could go fishing on monday- and he wrote-"On monday can we use WORMS. aaarrrgggghhhh!!!
B.C.Nick
Nicholas,
I loved your story!
Why does everyone pick on WORMS? When I was a kid, my Dad would water the lawn during the day and at night we would be out there with our flashlights picking up worms for our fishing trip the next day. Those worms sacrificed their slimy little lives for every fish we caught. What is worse is that the poor things probably drowned before they were eaten!
Doug WL OR
I grew up in Iowa drowning worms in creeks, rivers, and sandpits.
My Dad decided I should be exposed to fly fishing,Iguess. He was not one and as far as I know knew nothing about it. Anyway he bought me a bamboo [they all were then] South Bend rod, reel, etc. and turned me loose.
So I get to the creek knowing only how to throw a weight etc…tied on a big pear shaped sinker, bait hook and worm directly to the fly line and proceeded to fling the thing like a bait casting rod…after taking too many hits in the side of the head I decided fly fishing was not for me.I have no idea how I even got that rig airborne.
I still have that So. Bend bamboo rod next to all the other ones I’ve accumulated since then.
[This message has been edited by ducksterman (edited 12 February 2005).]
I’ve always fished when I can. When I lived
in Denver I had to schedule fly fishing like some would tennis or golf. I fished every wednesday evening and saturday morning whether conditions were perfect or not. I seldom hit a hatch,so I learned to fish nymphs with great success. Now that fly fishing is getting more popular the major hatches out west get hammered by crowds of people. Because of this I schedule trips at no hatch times and enjoy the serenity of nymph fishing alone.
Of course just to keep the banter going I also consistently catch bigger trout on nymphs and streamers than those who fish only dry ;> )
All right J. " Halford" Castwell your true colors have been flown!
Mr. Hatch you’ve seen my fishing vest, I have flies for insects that don’t exsist yet ,you never know when a new species is going to come around.
KCfly have you tried a TNT soft hackle , it’s really a dynamite fly!
Seriously though, I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone. Our sport is a wonderful pastime,rich in traditions AND innovations. Certainly, we are allowed to fish as we want, how and why we fish are our own interpretation of this sport. May the fish be with you.
Take care, Jim
I,m thinking of making foam strike indicators that look like dead fish. I think it will be fun to stare at a dead minnow rather than a ball of fluff!! I think foam -plastic, and jiffy markers will be just the ticket!!
Come to think of it if I do what my bait caster friends do and take a worm-stick a hypodermic needle in it -fill it full of air–crazy glue the hole–THE ULTIMATE STRIKE INDICATOR!!!
Can,t wait till next week to try this out with my young Japanese friend–keep you posted!!
B.C.Nick
Reminds me of the old timer who first took me under his wing. Not only could he cast a mean fly line, but was a master tier as well. To him, fly fishing meant dry flies on the surface … bottom line, end of conversation.
As I began to pick up a little skill and understand a little about it, was catching a few, mostly small ones. Then one day on the river I met up with a young fella my age and we began talking about what we were using. Seems he never fished with anything but nymps or a streamer now and then, and gave me a couple of each to try out. When I followed my new friends unorthodox ways I really started catching some fish and some with a little size. Opened a whole new world!
Never mentioned a word about it to my old mentor, and kept my new stash of nymps and streamers hidden.
Dale–When you are having a good day wandering downstream and come across the dryflyitist-only syndrome tell them (like the rest of us do) how lousy the fishing is- look downcast as they pondorously tell you of the two or three fish they have caught,and then continue to the next run where you land another five or six!!
B.C.Nick
<chuckle>