OK, I couldn’t resist I have to reply. I have seen both attitudes from both camps, I used to float fish the majority of the time and fished in solitude amost of the time and I can assure you that the surroundings meant a lot to me (would you have a mink run over the toes of your boots while casting a fly rod?? 
). I also see a lot of people crowd round the guy catching on the fly, so I think that your “attitude” assasination of people is unfounded.
Born to fish, forced to work.
JC always sends me 10 bucks for causing trouble did you get your money?? lol
Rich
Rich,
Gee, I think I’ve earned my $10 on this one…wow, did it ever get people talking.
I can take the criticism - most is kindly worded (as would befit those who visit here). Others were a little harsher, but that’s okay, I’ll try not to take the criticism too personally.
This community has a lot of great people - be they float rodders, fly fishers, or worm dunkers. I’m not so naive to think that the “gear makes the man”, or that simply because one chose a certain method of fishing over another, he is, by that choice, a superior or inferior angler. It just seemed that there might be a connection between the gear chosen, and how one chose to enjoy the sport…that’s all.
If two people buy a vehicle - one buys a Porshe, and the other a 4x4 - they’ll both be able to drive - but they’ve chosen to experience their driving in different ways.
I’m not passing judgement on the choice, just noting that different choices may lead to a different type of enjoyment of the sport.
maybe yoyu should take the critism more personally, you may learn something about yourself. oh, that’s just a broad observation of a specific situation.
Andrew, I don’t know what kind of response you expected by tossing those questions out there.
Although you did say you were ready to be blasted so I suspect you were not surprised.
Franky, you always put a smile on my old mug.
and Jeff:
“WHen you paint with broad strokes, you miss all of the details around the edges, and never get an even coat.”
Beautiful!!
Sorry Andrew but I read the same “between the lines” self-righteous tone as many others in your post.(intentional or not) You might as well have said “These People”…
I Float with a Centerpin reel as well as Flyfish and have met clowns and boors with all kinds of equipment. In my opinion it is the Craftsman, not the tools that make the difference.
By the way, if you had walked a little further up that stream, you might have walked past me, I might have had either a Float rod or a Flyrod in my hand. If that offends you…maybe you best keep on walking.
Cheers though…!
DuFf
Some days it’s just not worth chewing through the restraints…
[This message has been edited by Duffin Boy (edited 01 November 2005).]
I had this rather shocking experience Saturday. I was fishing a riffle, and a guy (fly fisher) asked if he could step in front of me, and I asked him if he would mind starting behind me, as I was going to keep moving through and cycle back.
“Whatever!” he says and proceeds to fish in front of me. I create space, but then find no matter where I move he ends up there. I just deal with it.
On I fish. I catch two steelhead and release them. He catches a ~5-6 lb steelhead and hits it on the head with a rock. He loses another, from the pull, it was big.
I look at his fish and it is a wild hen. I ask him why he killed a wild fish. “I thought that was a stub”. No, I show him it is an intact adipose fin. “I thought you could keep 6 wild fish a year”. Only Jan 1 to April 30, 1 per day, 5 per year. “Oh.”
Usually, when I see someone catch a steelhead or salmon if I can, I will look at the fish when they land it and tell them if it must be released. I did not expect this from a fly fisher.
I have noticed the same excuses are always used. I still am puzzled by this. He had enough skill not to be new. I know no fly club he could belong to that would tolerate this.
He ended up leaving with the fish through a path, not walking back up river.
Andrew,
I am also in the midst of a float rod invasion. It is like it was ten years ago when I was one of the few flyfishing and everyone and their brother spin fished the tribs. Then all at once(it seemed)everyone was flyfishing.
I have made the same observations that you have and have gone through being irked at anyone who float fished. My experiences of being surrounded and forced out of a spot, the numbers game etc…all forged that attitude. It occured to me that float rodders around here seemed to show up in platoons and assault the river like Delta Force.
Then it occured to me that there were also several jerks out there with fly rods in hand. As the fishery has become more and more popular the days of going out and seeing one or two guys are over. There is probably a certain constant percentage of people out there who will act in a less than proper manner on stream and this behavior most likely extends to their everyday lives. As pressure increases so do your chances of running in to a corn head.
OK, to the point…the float guy who is a jerk makes it more apparent by the sheer efficiency of his gear. His gear does not define him, but the manner that he uses it does. He is the same as the jerk with a fly rod, but shows up on radar a lot more because his gear allows him to be a really big a double s if he chooses to. Hope that makes sense.
Steve
Well folks…
I reread my original postand - and WOW! It really does sound self-righteous. I believe that the point that I was trying to make was lost in the self-righteous tone of the original piece. It does come off as arrogant (and somewhat elitist)- Not my intention, but definitely the result.
In an attempt recognize the virtues of fly fishing, I insulted some, and did a disservice to other fly anglers by perpetuating the stereotype of “the arrogant fly-fisher”.
My appologies.