Fly Fishing Opinions

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

Reading a post on the fly tying board got me to thinking about the elitist attitudes held by many fly fishers and made me wonder why. I also fish conventionally and never see the level of exclusivity and purist attitudes that are prevalent in fly fishing. Among others; in fly fishing we have:

[ul]
[li]Dry fly purists who only fish on top[/:m:b1544][/li][li]Traditional dry fly purists who only fish traditional flies on top[/:m:b1544][/li][li] Fisherman who only fish imitations of aquatic insects; in other words, no terrestrials[/:m:b1544][/li][li] Nymphs only[/:m:b1544][/li][li] Wets only[/:m:b1544][/li][li] Natural materials only for flies[/:m:b1544][/li][li] No harvest[/:m:b1544][/li][li] Cane rods only[/:m:b1544][/li][li] Warmwater or coldwater only[/:m:b1544][/li][li] No epoxy flies[/:m:b1544][/li][li] No added weight to flies[/:m:b1544][/li][li] No added weight to leader[/:m:b1544][/li][li] USA made only[/*:m:b1544][/ul][/li]
And multiple variations of all of the above as well as about 100 other ?clubs? I neglected. Fly fishers are adamant about their beliefs to the point of argument or fisticuffs for those that disagree. Is it our long and luscious heritage; mentoring, or just plain snobbery? I never met a nightcrawler purist on the local pond so I just wonder why you think we?re so opinionated.

I know?because we?re right!

Just for the record I think life is too short to be a fishing snob of ANY flavor.

[This message has been edited by Bamboozle (edited 19 September 2005).]

2

none of that fits me because I like to have fun and those things you listed sure seem to preclude having a good time.

3

I may fit into one of those. All I do if fly fish.

The only spinning rod I own is one I built when I was 14. It hasn’t been on the water in 30 years.

But… If I can throw it or catch it on a fly rod, I’m there.

Ken

There is a fine line between fly fishing and and just standing in a river looking like and idiot.

4

Allright Bamboozle;

Now you’ve gone and done it! Saying there are no nightcrawler purists! That is just plain insensitive! I flat out REFUSE to use them stinkin’ green nightcrawlers! [url=http://brotherhood-of-catfishermen.com/catfish/messages/66/909646.jpg:1b59b]Here[/url:1b59b] And redworms or red wigglers should be outlawed! Even just plain garden worms are an abomination. Someone needs to create some Nightcrawler ONLY sections for people to fish in so we don’t have to deal with the unwashed masses!

Don

5

Bamboozle;
Gardenfish is right, sure doesn’t sound like fun to me. I don’t even like to fish alone!! No one to lie too!! On a fly I tied with a rod I built is as about as “Elitist” as I’ll get!!
Drolfson;
I have a friend that will fish for Bass with nothing but a Black Plastic worm with purple spots (not even weedless!). He gets out fished a lot but will not change!!

I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!

Cactus AKA “Lucky Dog (Pirate Name)”

6

Bamboozle…don’t confuse purists with elitists…big difference! If someone wants to fish purely by one of the methods you listed…it’s his/her personal choice and shouldn’t be labeled an elitist or a snob.
The idea that many flyfishers hold elitists attitudes is a myth. I personally have never witnessed or been the victim of any snobbery from flyfishers or fishers in general.
Too bad threads like this just perpetuate the myth.

[This message has been edited by Feenom (edited 19 September 2005).]

7

I just wanna catch as many different species as i can on the long rod… it’s a personal challenge, where i get to meet some wonderful people in doing so.
On a professional level, i just wanna see my clients catch fish, whether it be numbers of, or size of, depending on their ambitions. The main thing to me is that i have fun and meet like-minded people along the way.

Andy

"My fishing is no longer an obsession, an addiction, or a mania; it’s much more than that!
" - Dave Micus

8

Feenom:

I’m not labeling anybody; just asking a question although I’ve had other fly fisherman chastise me for fishing terrestrials, and artificial material composed flies among other things. If you managed to avoid that consider yourself lucky.

When I started fly fishing I gave away all of my spinning tackle figuring I had risen above that. Unfortunately I inadvertently excluded some of my best fishing partners who didn’t fly fish and couldn’t accompany me to the FFO waters I frequent. I decided that friends were thicker than hackle and I returned to my roots for an occasional foray cause good fishing partners can be hard to find.

9

being one of those unwashed,I love my long rod but when you get down to it. Yea I will toss a spinning rod WITH a bobber AAAAAND a WORM. Yes folks thats right a real live squigly slimmy undulating creepy crawler thing that you dig from,OHHHH my GARSH,the GROUND(gasp)(quick grab the TAR and FEATHERS)(but make sure those feathers are #1 grade grizzly dry hackle.)
And yes I even used a MINNOW(faint)last week.(Swoon)

Even with that there taint notin Iz likes better dan dat der LOOOONG NOOOODLE of Graphite.

10

Bam, …

I guess it all comes down to Respect and then personal choice.

I don’t use weighted flies nor “shot” on the leader 'cause it’s illegal on my home waters. Then again, … I never really did out West as I “prefer” to cast an “unencumbered” line and fly (personal choice, … even if that means I catch less fish (on occasion).

I have fun. I sure won’t look down on another anglers technique, so long as they were having (legal) fun too.

Last saturday, … me and my girlfriend came upon a hot pool. She got on right off the bat on a streamer (wooly). I switched her to a dry as she had never caught a trout on dries. Bang … connects.

We switched from dries to wets as the mood struck us.

Later, … I asked her if she liked wets more than dries. Upon reflection, she said Wets.

Ren?e with a nice trout on a rather heavy rod … wet fly

When you get a take on a wet, the weight is right there. As soon as you lift the rod, the weight is there. On dries, you see the take, wait, lift, clear the water and set the hook. The weight is different.

I prefer dries, … the concentration, the anticipation, the take, … the line ripping out of the water as the weight settles in “relatively” slowly into the rod.


Boris T. Counting to 3 after a nice 12 lb hen inhaled a dry (S. Vincent Photo June 2005)
Question of choices I guess.

Christopher Chin, Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/:400a1]Fishing the Ste-Marguerite[/url:400a1]

[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 19 September 2005).]

11

bamboozle–

consider that, in order for an “elitist” to argue or fight, verbally or physically, with someone over a disagreement of the “proper” way to fish, than both must be elitist. it takes 2 to tango…

people fish for different species in different manners, at different times of the year. some like wild trout on a dry in an alpine stream. others like bluegill on a #10 wooly bugger in an urban pond. some enjoy surfcasting for saltwater species, while others will only fish carribean flats for bonefish.

what it comes down to is very succintly summed by a members signature. it reads: “Everyone fishes for pleasure. You for yours and me for mine”. i believe it is a quote from Liesenring regarding fishing the wet fly.

fishing is about enjoyment. everyone has a different idea of what creates that enjoyment. labeling anyone an “elitist” for choosing to play by their own rules is, well, elitist, for lack of a better word. it is just as arrogant to find fault with fishing in only one way as it is to find fault in fishing many different ways. anytime you hold your own ideals and opinions above someone else’s you are courting an elitist attitude, and run the risk of confrontation with anyone not agreeing with your opinion. its a viscious cycle, that will only end when folks realize that its supposed to be fun.

i dont care how, why, where, or for what you fish, as long as it is legal. the simple fact that you hook fish from the end of a line attached to a pole makes us brothers. i will not disregard your choice of “weapon”, so long as you show me the same respect.

one more thing–i know plenty of “bass only” fisherman who literally scoff at catching wild trout. they wouldnt be caught dead wading a tiny mountain stream in search of a 10" brook trout. does that make them better than me, or vice versa? nope. it simply means we enjoy different aspects of one of the most truly diversified sports in the world. no other sport has as many variations as angling, and its the one thing that makes it so great. anyone can do it. there are always fishable waters…

Everyone dies. Only the lucky ever truly Live. Take your time.

Chris-Bishop, CA, USA

12

Snobbery, isn’t an isolated attitude of flyfisherperson’s only. It’s happens in other fishing related sectors as well. It isn’t very becoming to the individuals who brandish it.

I think we’ve all encountered snobbery or elitest attitudes at one time or another while visiting various flyshops.

As to the sport of flyfishing itself…I point to the bumper sticker that says “I wasn’t born here but I got here as fast as I could”…I also liken flyfishing to hunting with a compound bow. It turned an enjoyable hobby into something far more enjoyable, atleast for me, myself and I.

Every worm or minnow dunker and lure chunker has contributed to the current state of our fisheries with their dollars spent on licenses and other purchases related to this industry and sport of fishing. So, I think they deserve a place and time to enjoy their pursuit of fish like you and I.

Do they have an impact on a fishery? Possibly so. However, as long as they are abiding by the rules and angling in the environments allocated to them I bid them peace and happy fishing!

13

Bam,

Let me see: 1)I know what type of flies I prefer to use; 2)I know what types of flies/lures I do not prefer; 3)I know that I will try use #1 first and will switch to #2 if necessary; 4)I believe people should fish whatever way they want given the confines of ethical, customary, considerate and legalities of an area; 5)I don’t look down at spin or bait fishing for bass or other fish as long as they follow #4; 5)How can the typical ‘fly guy’ look down at these bass guys who have $50k boats, $45k trucks, $gads invested in equipment and lures, etc.? 6)What flies are made from is purely personal. Again, different strokes for different folks. Some flies are made from materials that are just not my preference. I don’t make any judgement to the appropriateness of a fly; 7)To add or not to add is another personal preference. No judgement. 8) Do some fly fishermen have an affinity and love for bamboo rods or classical high end reels or exotic travel? Of course. If they can afford those things, more power to them. Hey, some fly fishers people live in multi-million $ mansions and some in apartments. Nothing is equal.

Are there some fly fishers that want not to be associated with non-fly fishing methods? Of course. I think that could be said in all walks of life and sports. As a professional defensive football player which side of the ball is more important and I bet he’ll say defense. Ask a classical pianist and chances are he/she will say classical. Ask a disgnostic MD and he/she will say diagnosis is the key element. Do these people have an appreciation for the other specialties or schools within their profession? Of course.

Can you make a blanket statement based on these differences? I can’t. If you were to graph the general feelings of fly fishers within the range of a Bell Curve I think you’d find some at the extremes which includes some elitists. However, you’ll find the vast majority within the bell and the very humble extreme.

Allan

14

Bamboozle…I’m not naive enough to think that snobbery and elitism never happens in this sport…of course it does. But rather than think that I’m “lucky” that it hasn’t happened to me, I prefer to think that you are one of the unlucky few that it has happened too. It just isn’t as prevalent as you make it out to be.
This bulletin board is a good example. I don’t recall anyone chastising someone else for their preferred method of fishing, choice of equipment. or target species. Well, not in a malicious way anyway.
I just hate to see gross generalizations…period.

15

Bamboozle-

Think about this. What sort of person is drawn to flyfishing? Would it be an exaggeration to suggest that (on average), flyfishers might be just a bit more obsessive than average folk. For a while, when one first starts flyfishing, it may seem practical to be obsessive about the entirety of flyfishing. However, before long, as the one?s body of flyfishing knowledge continues to expand, it becomes threatening to spread one?s finite obsession too thinly. Therefore, many of us tend to specialize, thereby focusing our obsession on something more practically manageable.

The second factor coming into play is tolerance, or more to the point, lack of tolerance. Unfortunately, obsession and lack of tolerance are not mutually exclusive. So, what we get is intolerance of everything outside of a continually narrowing aspect of flyfishing.

Are all flyfishers obsessive? Probably not. Are the majority of flyfishers reasonably tolerant? Probably. Are some flyfishers both obsessive and intolerant? Sure, and these are probably the ones who bug you. Or, so it seems to me.

Taxon
[url=http://FlyfishingEntomology.com:5bf29]FlyfishingEntomology.com[/url:5bf29]

16

I’ve seen hunters divided and almost conquered because of elitist attitudes, re: muzzleloaders against modern firearms, traditional bows vs. recurves vs. compounds, etc. I’d hate to see fishermen go the same route. As far as I’m concerned, if it’s legal, I’ll try it as far as fishing is concerned. I’ve even tried hogging or grabbling, and enjoyed it until the growing beaver population made it hazardous…G

17

FF is by its very nature a limitation on how you will take fish, the refinesments you describe are simply a logical outgrowth. It is not about the fish, or indeed, the fishing itself but about the limitations you choose to put on your own pursuit to maximize the type of challenge you are seeking.
splinter

18

Well, I have to admit that at different times I’ve fit into those some of those categories. For me though, it’s all about having a good time, and fishing the way that you like best. So long as you don’t cop an attitude or look down your nose at people who do things differently, there is really no problem.

Now… off to the Fryingpan to fish dry flies only on cane rods. If I get too discouraged, though, I might whip out the old plastic rod with a nymph rig. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

19

I think there can be elitist attitudes in any endeavor, and FF is no exception. In my experience anyway, these attitudes most often manifest themselves in the fly shop; not on the water.

I think people often come into FF from the conventional-tackle and bait-fishing ranks. Not that these methods are any less sophisticated or enjoyable, but I think a lot of folks try FF because they’ve come to a point in life where success no longer has anything to do with how many fish were caught during a day’s outing.

I know if I were just out to catch fish, I’d never pick up a fly rod.

So, I think a lot of folks decide that they’re going to fish only dries, and only on upstream presentations, and only to rising fish, because these limitations present the kind of challenge they’re after, or because they seem ethical to them. Or maybe, through this type of fishing, they’re seeking to learn something about themselves, whether they’re cognizant of this desire or not. And one fish this way means more to them than a creel of fish caught any other way.

Of course, by subscribing to such limitations or schools of thought, maybe it means simply that we’re able to pursue this activity called fly fishing on our own terms, and define our own limitations, and still succeed – however we want to define the word “success.” This might be a metaphor for life, itself.

[This message has been edited by Fred Sanford (edited 20 September 2005).]

20

Yes I am an elitist snob. I only use what the fish are biting and never anything else no matter what.

Who has time for stress when there are fish to catch.
Nick

[This message has been edited by Micropteris (edited 20 September 2005).]