Competive fly fishing seems to be gaining around here. I don’t like it! I’d like to know what others think.
To each his/her own, I guess, but fly fishing and competition seem to go together like, well, they just don’t. As long as they stay off our fave waters.
Chuck
In my opinion, it’s gauche.
I know it’s not for me. Heck, I don’t get competitive fishing at all. I don’t want to think about someday seeing a metalflake red drift boat with guys in NASCAR style sponsor shirts…
Not my type of thing. When I go fly fishing I am doing it to enjoy the time on the water and make memories for myself, last thing I want to do is make a competition out of it. I guess to each his own though.
Steve
Competitive Fly Fishing is a product of the current X-Game generation for sure. I have absolutely NO problem with organized CASTING competition. I do however think that formal competition does not belong on trout streams. I thought Fly Fishing was supposed to be a quite, contemplative sport? I know a few X-tournament BASS fishermen that took up fly fishing because they wanted to enjoy FISHING again. Most have sold off their flashy bass boats and conventional tackle, and have stuck with fly fishing. I have a few younger friends who fish in competitions, but they know it is not for me. I have more than once politely declined to be a field judge in such events. Perhaps this is another reason why I find Euro-nymphing to be so ridiculous, and do not consider it a form of fly fishing. Guess I’m becoming just another old cantankerous fuddy-duddy!
aa
No way. i do favor barbless hooks though and have recently swiched over to completely barbless
Competative fly fishing has been around since two anglers bet a shilling on who could catch a fish first on the Test (or before…) Now, personal competition for fun is fine with me. However, I still keep seeing mental images of the NASCAR drift boat PA Dave mentioned. I just adapt those images to a steep hillside spring creek with large boulders and fast water…
I have participated in a number of catch, photo, and release tournements. The competetiton was friendly and low key. Prizes were plaques or a small amount of cash or products like pliers or fly lines or sunglasses. All included a raffle that all entrants were entered in and a catered Bar-B-Que. Products for the raffle were donated by sponsors and were worth more than the prize payouts. So for example, a participant who scored no points in the competition might come away from the raffle with a fish graphic Abel reel or Sage Z-Axis rod or something. These events were a lot of fun.
Not for me. Fly Fishing is a personal thing for me. It’s a competition between me and the fish using the water I ply. It’s not a competition between me and a sponsored fisher person wearing sponsor’s patches and gear offered by manufacturers looking to sell more successful tactics. BPS, Cabela’s & Orvis, along with lots of others support competitive fishing as a way to sell their products, and I don’t blame them. It creates a venue for improvement of supplies and gear. But for me, I’d be happiest to trick a rainbow trout into a dry fly drifted over a deep pool with an old fashioned fiberglass rod, level tippet and a Royal Coachman.
Competive fly “casting” , yes. Competive fly “fishing” , no.
Personally, I’m not into it either. It somehow seems to “lessen” the sport, at least to me. Usually my fishing partner and I don’t even count how many fish we catch (other than the first one). To each their own, but I see far too much competition in other aspects of my life. It’s nice to have at least one small area of it occupied by something I do simply for the enjoyment of doing it.
I am torn…while I don’t care a fig about competitive fishing for bass, I don’t like it on streams for trout, including the One Fly, or the different international competitions. Don’t know why the dichotomy…seems kinda two-faced, but there it is…
That being said, how many of you have participated in a trout deby? How about a big fish pool on a deep sea boat? re tehy different?
I personally have a dislike for competitive fishing. In reality though, we are halfway there. Troutbums and guides with numerous stickers on their cars and boats, sponsors maybe? Covered in every name brand product from head to toe. Fishing for money one way or another. Fly fishing shows stuck between B.A.S.S. tournament broadcasts. We are even putting speckled rubber legs on our tube jigs, oops, I mean flies. I suggest that we take a minute and watch some youtube videos on Loch style fishing competitions. Not the flashy “Hog Catchin” we all imagine when we here competition fly fishing. I am not saying it’s a good thing, but our quiet sport has always had its competitive side.
I don’t like it either and I find myself at peace with the world just being on the water. That said, I’m at a greater, smugger peace when I catch the first, biggest and most.
Jackson one fly tournament started in 1986. Most of the X-Generation were still in elementary school.
Honestly, as others have said, competition on the water has been ongoing forever. Casting competition invariably lead to competitions on the water. My main issue with bass tourneys is the # of dead fish that result from those tourneys.
You bring up a good point…what is guided fishing, if not fishing competition?? Anyone who has fished a popular floating stream can see people getting all worked up over the competitor’s low holing, fishing through, bogarting the hole, etc. and guides gotta get sports on fish or the competition will.
Food for thought when I finish my ride on the high horse.
I personally have ZERO interest in competing within the sport. It’s just not an aspect of fishing that I find appealing.
However, I understand it for what it is. It’s driven by sponsors, who use it to drive visibility to the sport and their brands. It helps keep the marketplace “active”. With “champions” come “endorsemeents”…with endorsements come clothing lines, rod lines, new patterns…etc. If you own a shop and one of your guides or employees places or wins?..well I reckon you would then come to LOVE fly fishing competition. 
I believe if you check you will find B.A.S.S. was in the forefront in promoting catch and release and has promoted and encouraged the development of products to reduce fish dying as a result of tournments. However, there are thousands of tournments with no associations.
As for competitive fishing, I always thought it was me against the fish. I won yesterday 5-2. Five fish caught; 2 flies left in the tree.
Thanks for your opinions. I think it is an abomination! Susposedly the fish are not harmed but when money is involved, I think handling of the fish will suffer. I agree with Lotech that fishing should be between the fisherman and the fish. I cringe to think about tournaments on some of my favorite streams. Unfortunatly I believe this will become a real problem in the future