After being a card carrying member of a local fly fishing club for 5 years I have decided to call it quits. I almost quit last year but the wife talked me into paying my dues one more year and just go on fishing excursions with them.
My gripes are this.
After being a member for 5 years there were 2 men who know me by my first name (sort of) and one who ever invited me to fish with him (one time three years ago.)
2.When at the meetings the pres would ask if anyone had any fishing reports I would sometimes stand to be recognised and be ignored for the more prestigious members reports. When finally recognised I would start my report only to be cut short to go on to the next business.
Prior to meeting I always showed up early to help set up. I would shake hands with folks and try to talk to them and be ignored. A few of them would talk to me but I always had to make the approach. I can’t remember one time I was approached by another member. Same thing during a break to prepare for speaker, set up video or whatever. It was like I was a non-person.
I have approached other members by email to thank them for their presentations or other participation at the meetings and never receive a response back.
I have taken photos of New Zealand, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and other places I have visited and fished to share with the club only to have them ignored.
The only time I have been called on the phone by another member was when he was running for president and wanted my vote. He started the conversation by mispronouncing my name. I thought he was a telemarketer and hung up on him. He immediatly called back and introduced himself so I’d know who he was, then invited me to show up at the next meeting to vote for him.
The icing on the cake was the last meeting I went to, about 4 months ago was cancelled, no one at the facility and a note on the door saying it would be held the following week. I learned later all the important members (cronies of the pres and others) were notified by phone or email the meeting was cancelled. It is a 90 mile round trip for me to attend. I decided that night it wasn’t worth my time or aggravation to re-up my membership.
I guess I’m not fly fishing club material because I don’t write for Western Outdoors, Tye flies like the member with 2 Norvises, wear an Orvis sponsor patch or have enough money and time to go on week long excursions with the elitists to drift boat fish with highly regarded guides in pretigious and world reknowned waters. I’m a simple country boy who lives to fish. I am me. I don’t need them as much as they don’t need me.
There I said it. I will stick with FAOL.
Dear Mr. Invisible,
I almost overlooked this post…
Just kidding, Jim!!
Seriously, your experience sounds really horrible, and definitely substantiates your decision not to rejoin that Club!
That’s a bummer.
You can hang out, chat, and fish with US anytime…and we’re GLAD to have you!
I feel that you have made the right decision for you and you are more than welcome to stay with FAOL. Unfortunately, a lot of clubs are going this way and that is why I do not belong to any. The only club I belong to is the Lynchburg Fly Fishing Club and we do not have a president, dues and any of the other things clubs have. We are just a bunch of people who enjoy fishing with a fly rod getting together once a month and eat, visit with each other and try to have a guest speaker at the meetings whenever we can. We are just a bunch of country boys who enjoy eating, fishing with a fly rod, tying flies and shooting the bull. You have an open invitation to come join our club anytime you want to, but, the driving distance for you may become a problem since we are located in Tennessee, but, you are still welcome anytime and I did not have to check with any club members to get their permission to invite you.
Sounds like the one club meeting I attended 20 years ago, and never went back. But flyfishing isn’t something I do that requires large groups of people. In fact, I prefer it alone or with one friend at a time along.
You are always welcome at the Idaho fish-in. We can’t recognize each other over the fire anyway, but some of the shapes and voices get familiar after a while.
Fortunately for me, my TU Chapter Club meetings are great and everybody is friendly and we work hard together to keep up the local fishery. Sorry for your bad experience. Maybe finding a fly shop that ties once a month or something like that may be better
I’ve considered attending club meetings, but why? so they can ignore me because I’m new and young?
I don’t think so.
Besides, what would it benefit me? see a bunch of people catching fish? why drive a half an hour way, be bored, get lunch, drive another half an hour, so that’s $50 just to be bored???
why? I can do it all right here in the comfort of my own home! lol just kidding you all teach me a lot
Frankly, I have been to a number of fly fishing clubs that operate as the OP described… No sure, but I think the mindset that makes folks fly fishers does not lend itself to crowds.
you are welcome to my fly fishing /tying club. You can even be vice president that would make 2 of us in the club…I left T.U. chapter after they would not use my shop but kept asking for donations. and i joined tu in 1970…No more…now only a few close friends that belong come by…
It is such a shame that some clubs are cliques.I have seen so called service organizations that are cliques.As soon as I see that I am out of there.I try to give back when I can.This is why I am content here
Nothing like a group that is so insecure as to kiss each others arse end to be accepted. Jim you are a good guy and have the patience of a saint. I would have left within the first year if I was treated like that. Anywho, you know you are accepted and respected here. Feel free to share your fishing stories with us.
This story makes me a little sad. Flyfishing is already looked upon by a lot of non-flyfishers as an expensive, fussy and elitest sport. It’s sad when fly fishers perpetuate those myths.
The expample you sited that surprises me the most is #6. I find it laughable that you actually received a “campaign call” from an officer candidate. Among the groups I’ve been affiliated with, the election process is more like: folks talk it up, someone says “I nominate so and so.”, and that person is usually elected unanimously. But an actual campaign call, really?
I’ve been casually affiliated with 2 FF clubs and more actively involved in a 3rd (I am the current president). I guarantee that no one has EVER been treated this way by any of these 3 clubs. I hate to say it but that might be because I live in eastern South Dakota. Not exactly a hot-bed of fly fishing activity. Most of us in South Dakota are so happy to find someone else to talk fly fishing with that we don’t care who you are or what your story is!
Glad to see you on FAOL and sorry you, and a lot of others it seems, have had such a bad club experience. Some ‘clubs’ are like the cliques I remember from high school - I’d really hate to be part of one of those from either side.
Happily, I’ve had only the opposite experiences with fly fishing clubs - I joined a great, if small, club in So. Cal. when I took up fly fishing about 6 years ago. It was a very friendly place and I learned a lot from the more experienced members. I found FAOL about the same time and lurked and learned from you all. I joined Central Oregon Flyfishers when I moved here about 18 months ago and again, have had nothing but good experiences with good people. I’m sure there are a lot of good clubs out there, don’t let your bad experience stop you from finding one of them.
Yup seen stuff like that before. Its always a shame. I am not in a club now but found them to be mixed. Some folks were quite nice but there always seemed to be the elitist group that paid you no mind and consorted with the folks that flew off to their great fly fishing adventures. Not to put them all in same category by any means cause there are some good folks out there. What I am betting is that with a club is like that, there has to be others in the club that feel the same way. Maybe you should start your own club, informal to start of course. Good luck and don’t loose any sleep over people like that. Go one last time and “key their car” as you leave. Naw, just kidding. Leave them to their own misery.
Thanks FAOL for supporting and co-signing me. I Kept thinking, If I just keep going back someone will recognise me and will want to talk to me. I know a few guys locally who like to fly fish and would probably like to have a coffee and talk about it. I’ll invite them next week. Jim
