A post made earlier started me thinking about what fly fishing is…
It seems that regular fishing, for the most part, involves high speed, specialty, expensive boats that tear up and pollute the water, with the object of ‘harvesting’ as many of the targeted species as possible. It seems that is is usually practiced (for the most part) by loud, sometimes obnoxious people, in expensive boats, sometimes (a lot of sometimes) comsuming beer, and having an attitude that the lakes and rivers belong to THEM! Fly-Fishers, on the other hand, seem to be quiet (most of the time, you don’t even know they are there until you see them), reflective, educated, calm visitors to nature’s realm, with a bias towards consideration for the environment they are in, and respect thereof. If any alcohol is involved (in my case, a flask at hike-in campfire at days-end containing a well made-boubon, brandy or wine…to keep off the evening chill), it is usually tastefully, and reasonably applied (to keep off the chill of cold trout streams…). Most Fly-Fishers I know have the same approach to life as they do to fishing…relection and introspective reasoning.
If anyone’s interested, I do all kinds of fishing from fly to cane pole, but my heart is always with the principles of fly fishing in mind. I only keep what I need to eat ( I live in the wilderness). And I can eat really cheap fish (I have lots of carp recipes, if anyone wants them. They ain’t too bad, if your hungry).
Your characterization of “other” fisherman is too harsh. I believe that most fisherman are out to have a good time, perhaps catch and keep a few fish, and generally respect the outdoors. The few abusers unfortunately paint all bait and lure chuckers as jerks. Not true. PS: I flyfish 99.9% of the time, ocasionally spin with the kids.
Most of my life (I will be 57, on Feb 9th) I have been a fisherman, stinky bait - spin-casting - trolling with lures. I remember when I was a lad, that the lake shores were void of buildings. Over the years the shore line became wall-to-wall cabins, later to be replaced by Lake-shore Homes.
The waters of the lakes and rivers, went from quiet retreats, to rush hour traffic, of speed boats and jet skis, that were in a big hurry to get no where!
Over those years, my enjoyment of fishing declined, point of dying completely. When I took up the long rod of fly fishing, my excitement of fishing as a lad returned.
I have given away all my other fishing gear, and only fly fish, during the week (I am retired), leaving the weekends and holidays for the other folks (who like to go no where fast, and make as much noise as possible while getting there).
~Parnelli
[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 26 January 2006).]
The people you describe weren’t really anglers to begin with.
I don’t care what your preference is, bait, fly or otherwise, an angler will always place value on the time spent on the water, that is to say give it some meaning. They get excited about the time, place, duration, presentation, etc. It’s what sets us apart from the recreational fisherman where the actual fishing is a secondary element and the fishing seems to not be the most valued component of an evening, day, weekend outing. I have seen many bait fisherman place as much value and respect into their fishing as I do, and as one who only started fly fishing 1997, the excitement of the change from bait to fly was short lived once I realized I always loved this sport. My enthusiasm for fishing didn’t really change from bait to fly, just the approach.
It’s attitudes like this…only a fly fisherman can really understand the fun and beauty of fishing…that turned me off to fly fishing until this past year.
Before then, I used to pack my spinning gear, and hike into mountain lakes…many of them without trails…to sit and enjoy the serenity. Once a year, I would keep 3 or 4 of the trout that I caught…but I threw the other 50 to 100 back.
I know many others like me. Fly fishing is not some elitist way of catching fish. It’s just another way to fish. Some people really enjoy it. I’m one of them. Some people like fishing from boats. Some people like tearing up the lake with their boats and water toys. That doesn’t mean that they’re a bunch of idiots because they don’t fly fish.
I, like you, started out fishing the lake that was just down the road from our farm and I could walk to it and fish from the bank. It was always peaceful and quiet and I enjoyed the adventure whether it was catching crappie, catfish, bluegill, etc. Now that lake is wall to wall homes, jet skis, bass boats, 2 marinas and all rush hour traffic. As I got older I joined bass clubs and became a tournament fisherman and did enjoy that sport for about 30 years and then all the enjoyment left it. Most tournaments are held on the weekends and the lakes are no longer fun with all the traffic. About 10 years ago I sold my bass boat and gave up the lakes and picked up a fly rod and Praise God, fishing is enjoyable again!! It is peaceful and quiet again. I sometimes worry if fly fishing will go the route of rush hour traffic as more and more people get into it. Just this last weekend a friend and I were enjoying the river when 2 young men with fly rods came stomping up the middle of the river from downstream of us and stomped right up to where we were fishing and asked if we were doing any good catching trout. They then started to tell us what midge flies they were using and informed us that was what we needed to be doing if we intended to catch fish. They had all the latest fly fishing gear and tried their best to impress us with their knowledge of fly fishing. Then they continued stomping up the middle of the river past us. I just looked at my friend and we waded out of the river and went home. This was the first time something like this has happened in the 10 years I have been fly fishing and I hope and pray it is not a vision of what the future of fly fishing will become. In 2 months I will be 58 and I pray that fly fishing will continue to be the peacful and quiet sport that it is because if I live long enough to retire, I need the river, the fly rod and the peace and quiet. Without those three things I may as well be dead.
I like some of you have spent time in a gel coated fiberglassed water rocket of a boat,going so fast from one fishing spot to the other that I now have permanent creases in my face.Spent way too much money on hotels and food and lures,gas and too little time enjoying what I wanted to do,catch some fish.Took me awhile to figure it out.
Fish how you want.I prefer the long rod now.
No big deal how you get it done,just enjoy.
It don’t mean a thing.
Mike
I don’t get it. Everyone here has mentioned “bait fisherman” as something different than “fly fishing/fisherman”. Isn’t a fly just 'nother form of “bait”, in the general sense of the word? I don’t have a dictionary handy, but to me a “bait” is anything that attracts a fish to take a bite.
Ima Hooked, amen brother.
I have heard bow hunters say the same thing about rifle hunters, that they are somehow a more pure hunter. And people who fish somewhere really nice, but want to stop anyone else coming after them…it’s childish and highfalootin.
a hunter, a fisher, and a belly itcher, DW