Just a thought

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

A few years ago we had , here on FAOL, a poll about just how much of an investment in fly fishing equipment each of us had. The responses ranged from " I plead the 5th ammendment" to "less than $200 bucks. Myself, I’m probably in the less than $1000 bracket and my license plate is somewhat fly fishing related. The question that now occurs to me, in order that I may properly place myself, is just how much of your LIFE is invested in fly fishing. The reason for my curiosity is that after about 40+ years astream, I could not name ONE owner of a fly shop, ONE owner of a rod company, I have 5 rods and at gunpoint I could NOT name ALL of them, I don’t tie my own ( no talent) , none of my friends (exc FAOL’errs) fly fish, my posts here on the forum SELDOM are in answer to a member’s FF question, BUT, I fly fish almost exclusively ( I might add, with some success). This while I read others here who seem to be aware of or do ALL of these things and I do envy their awareness.
There is NO “agenda” to be implied from this question. I’m just curious.
Many times I’ve stated ,with purpose, “I fly fish” as oppose to “I’m a fly fisherman”. To me, a “fly fisherman” is a designation bestowed upon those who “devote” time to the pursuit as opposed to those who simply enjoy being astream on occasion. This is not to disparage one and exhalt the other but simply a recognition , in my own mind, that there IS a difference.
SO, having said all of that, YES, I’d rather be in Wyoming but in addition, how much of YOUR life is invested in fly fishing?.

Mark
PS: It also occured to me I could “probably” be the 4th man in Olympic Bobsledding team if they can wait till I jump in. USA Just got the GOLD !!!

2

I’m sitting here at 3am, just can’t sleep. I don’t post often here, but visit frequently. This site is one of my methods of relaxation, as well as a great source of information on all aspects of fly fishing.
Like you, I fly fish. I also tie flies, and this year am learning to build a fly rod. My monetary investment in equipment is growing, but usually only after careful research into the matter. My library of fly fishing and fly tying books and magazines is slowly growing. I like to think that I am studying the entire art of fly fishing, maybe with the hope that some day I will be able to think of myself as a true fly fisherman.
What is nice is that my wife is totally supportive of my endevors. When I am looking at a new piece of equipment, or thinking about trying something new, I always get a green light from her. When we plan our vacations, we always take a look at opportunities for me to wet a fly somewhere along the route. At the same time, I support her in her persuit of watercolor painting. Like me, she is growing into her field of interest.
Also for me, all of this is my form of therapy. I come home from school many nights and sit at the fly bench for an hour or so. It gives me the chance to zone out, calm down and relax. Time on the stream is time away from the pressures of the rest of the world. When I get back from there, I can better deal with those pressures.
I guess that fly fishing and fly tying, for me, is a kind of pursuit. Of exactly what, I am not sure. Maybe it’s some kind of Zen thing. But whatever it is, it makes me a better, and a happier person.
CJ

3

Mark,
I consider myself more of a “Fly Tyer” than a Fly Fisherman. If I cant get out to fish “Oh Well” I’ll survive. However if I can’t tie I go “Nutz”(or nuttier than I already am)
I have a few bucks tied up in rods and reels, But the higher priced stuff was traded for or won at a drawing, or Gifted to me(Scott Rod) by the Generous Irishman, Mike Flanagan. Now Flytying I “Shudder” to think what I have invested in it.
But it is All worth it for my “Sanity”(supposed) and for the Great Friends I have met thru FAOL, Yourself and Your Lovely Lady included.

4

I have five rods and a few more reels. I assemble my own rods (“build” would imply a higher level of skill that I would care to imply) but it is sometimes two or three years between them. None of my rods or reels are even in the medium price range or higher. I tie all my own flies, but it is sometimes weeks or months between tying sessions. I fly fish exclusively, not because it’s the only way to fish, but simply because it is the way I enjoy fishing. I get out often once the weather is ready to cooperate (sometimes before…I’ve been known to fish in every month of the year), but the vast majority of my fishing is done in short local trips. I’ll never book a guide in Patagonia and that will be okay, not that I would turn such a trip down, mind you.

Fly fishing isn’t my life, but it surely is a significant and highly valued component of my life. When I am stressed out, when the weight of the world is dancing on my shoulders, I wade into the river and wave that magic wand and time stops. The world is reduced to one small piece of beautiful reality, and I feel good.

5

Like you folks I to fly fish. I may not be the best or have the best gear but I promise you, no one enjoys it more thean I. Now that we’re retired from the rat race we travel some. Ive aded 5 more non resident license to my collection

6

i haven’t fished or tied a fly for more than 10 years. i own no rods, reels, or tying tools. you know what? the spirit of fly fishing and tying still resides very deep in my mental and spiritual makeup. during the 20 years i did fish and tie i fished at every possible opportunity and tied to support fishing, even a short stint of commercial tying (absolutely not cut out for commercial tying). my point is that one need not be involved in either endeavor to consider oneself as flyfisher or fly tyer. the physical pursuit of this sport is a small part of the overall cast of fly fishing for me…

7

When I retired I knew that I needed to do something, just not that four letter word ‘WORK’, so I joined a fly fishing club. I also joined the Federation of Fly Fishers early on. I started off helping with the auctions of the fly fishing club and going on organized fly fishing trips. I joined the Board of Directors of the club and took on the role of education coordinator, doing that for a few years. Meanwhile I took over the club’s auction and found I really liked making money for fly fishing organizations. I also took over organizing fly fishing trips to Canada and Montana. Lots of people want to go on these trips but no one seems to want to organize them.

Then I joined the board of the Washington State Council FFF and became their treasurer, then moved on to being their secretary. Meanwhile I decided to on the newsletter editor duties of the club, so I turned over the auction and educational duties to other people. The WSCFFF needed to have some fund raisers so I took on that job with them.

I started going to the FFF Conclaves and found I really enjoyed those, at first taking many classes and seminars but also volunteering to help out where they needed me, but I really liked working the auction/raffles, so I did that every time I went. Two years ago I was asked if I would take on the role of auction coordinator for the national FFF organization and I accepted. So I am now the auction coordinator for both the Washington State Council and the national FFF.

Meanwhile, I joined a second fly fishing club in my area and after a year decided to take on the role of president of that club. By the way, that club voted to become a FFF Charter Club and we just finished the paperwork on that.

I still organize fly fishing trips as well as trips to fly fishing expos and such. These past two years has seen a decrease in the numbers of people being able to go on these trips, as the economy drained their available funds, but I trust things will turn around and more people will start travelling again.

I also do a little fly tying, but mainly just for myself.

As you can see, in my retirement, I have found a new home, that of the fly fishing world. It is a great way to spend my time and spend my money and I enjoy doing what I am doing. I know that in a few years I will turn over the reigns of the auctions to other people but I will still continue to organize fly fishing trips and excursions and I will continue to tie for myself.

Life don’t get much better than this.

Larry —sagefisher—

8

It’s difficult for me to be philosophical at 0730 so let me just say it’s all elementary my dear Marco.
Since I fly fish exclusively, I am a fly fisherman and thus will never experience true nirvana in my lifetime.

9

Marco,

Came late to the fly flinging at about age 61. Fished in one manner or another since I was about 7 though. Started out with handlines baited with minnows fishing a lake mainly for perch out of a small wooden rental boat at age 7. Graduated to bait casting for bass, pike and pickerel with spoons and plugs. Father-in-law introduced me to trout fishing with (gasp!) bait using a fly rod around age 20. He could read the water like most folks do a newspaper and tell you where just about every fish was located in the stream and then proceed to catch 'em too! Fished with him and my two brother-in-laws for about 40 years. Finally decided that even I could probably learn how to fish with a fly and didn’t have any fly fishing friends; so, read everything I could about it and talked my one fishing buddy into giving it a try. First experience was hilarious as we went to a “rent a trout” stream on our fisrt outing. Had some gawd-awful supposed fly and flung it into the small stream to be greeted by a hit but lost the rainbow at my feet. Proceeded up the stream and kept getting hits galore but no more hook ups. After finally deciding to check my fly discovered that the first hit had broken off the hook to the bend and I had spent the last hour and a half fishing with a “teaser.” Was so funny my partner heard me laughing way downstream. Took a fly fishing lesson with my brother-in-law and that day really got me addicted. Next was a fly tying class at the local fly shop after deciding I could never do that stuff. But, stumbled on and now haven’t bought a fly in about 6-7 years. Learned a mite more along the way and joined the local TU chapter and FAOL wherein my fly flinging abilities increased a mite above idiot status with all that help at my disposal. Retired a few years ago and so most of my few outings are by me own self. Only fish within about an hour and a half drive from the home base. Have about 5-6 rods including one none too expensive boo rod. Probably have too much spent on fly tying stuff but as my wife says there’s nothing a “fisherman” won’t buy. Spend a considerable amount of time on the water taking photos with my waterproof digital. Have to admit I enjoy the solitude of being alone in a beautiful place but at this stage of the life cycle the wife much prefers that I don’t go out alone. Cellphone now has to make the trip with me. fell a few years back and finished off the old football knee and took three months to walk again without aids. It was worth it!

10

To go back to the original question, I think that the most of us don’t really want to think about how much money we have in the game. Speaking only for myself, I tend to be the obsessive compulsive type. When I do somehting I tend to jump in with two feet and the whole bank account. As far as how much my life revolves around this “game”, I post here and on several boards. I just finished two fly tying classes taken simutaneously, I scouted for fish twice last week (season is closed). My wife, family and neighbors are involved with the game by association. I even took one of my son’s friends to one of the fly tying classes with me. I talk or think about fly fishing daily, multiple times per day. I tie often and when not tying am thinking about patterns. It’s a sickness and I am cool with that.

11

Marco, like you, my wife and I are now fly fishers exclusively. Since there are two of us, that means at least two of everything. We each have a couple thousand dollars invested in rods alone, maybe more since some are bamboo, plus the reels and lines. We have rods that fit diffrent circumstances and allow us to fish despite limiting physical difficulties.

As to fly tying, only God knows how much we have invested in that portion of the sport. I do know that we could outfit a small fly shop very well and still have stuff for ourselves. We are well past the point of need, and work solely on want.

With the exception of FAOLer’s, only a couple of our friends have tried fly fishing. They, despite our instruction and encouragement, decided it was a sport fit only for those completely mad.

Fly fishing and tying is what we do together for fun.

VEE has many other interests, mostly art related, mine is wood working and singing with a drum group. Fly fishing brings us together.

REE

12

Pleading the Fifth is still an option, isn’t it?

Ed

P.S. People in the US “plead” or “invoke” “The Fifth” (amendment to our Constitution, of course). Now I’m suddenly curious, what do Canadians do? How is the right called into play in the UK?

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Could be, other folks don’t have that option.

REE

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Ron, you are so lucky to have a wife who enjoys the sport as much as you. My wife goes along on my fishing trips, but has no interest in putting on waders. However, she is very understanding of my enthusiasm for fishing and tying. Therefore, I have more stuff, on the bench and in the closet, than I can ever use. I had to stop and go count my rods. I think there are 11, (1 bamboo) and several very expensive ones. However, I still prefer an old Walton Powell rod for trout that I bought many year ago. Living in Florida, I also have several larger outfits for snook, bass and reds. Having a lake out my back door makes it pretty easy to fish everyday we are home.

As for tying equipment and material, like many others out there I have one of everything and too much of most of it for one man to use in a life time. I try to tie every day or so around travel and work. I’ll probably end up donating the materials one day to some club for the young folks coming along.

Mark, see what you started. Now you’ve got us counting this stuff:)

15

I probably have more money tied up in fly tying than fly fishing gear. But I tend to only have one rod/setup for a particular application. Not really into collecting flyrods. I like to invest in one setup that is the best I can afford. I have a 3wt, 5wt & a 7wt.

I’m not exclusively a flyfisherman. I go by what I enjoy. I am pretty much exclusive for trout, unless I have the kids out. I have never had a fondness for bass fishing and the gear that it includes…but I LOVE flyfishing for bass & bluegills. But I really do not enjoy flyfishing saltwater. I do it…but not exclusively…so for saltwater I am mainly a surf fisherman with cut bait and spinning rod. I love it. It’s all about what you enjoy.

16

Some don’t, but those 2 countries do. A few years ago they changed the law in the UK. Now, if you refuse to speak, that fact can be entered into evidence. I’m not sure about the Canadian laws, but I’m sure that there aer plenty on this board who are. It was just a point of curiousity with me.

Ed

17

Far too much. I am a pack rat. I have the 1st fly rod which was mine - not borrowed from dad, grandpa or husband. It is a Hedon Black Beauty, soft and probably a pos, haven’t had it out of the case for at least 10 years. It will probably make the trip back to Montana but mostly for the memories. I also have all of JC’s rods, some of which are already ‘home’. He would have wanted that. Probably 25 rods, including 2 Kusse bamboo and two Hardy’s (Fiberglass Perfection and Graphite Saltwater Angel). The rest are Gatti, Sage, one CF Burkheimer 4 piece 7-8-9, designed for distance. Never fished, lawn cast only. (For Sale actually) Even more decadent, there are matching reels for all. Worth, probably priceless, but isn’t the worth really very personal? I mean in downtown (insert name) I probably couldn’t buy a cup of coffee for one.
Sure an interesting topic.

18

I am a fisherman. It is funny how we label things. When I was young and learning to fish from my dad we had spinning rods, bait casters and fly rods. It never really occurred to me there was much difference until I was in my forties (I’ll explain latter). Back then we went fishing and sometimes it was with spinning rods and sometimes it was with fly rods. As I grew up and started travelling and working I got involved with commercial fishing and was an owner operator of a Puget Sound gillnetter. I also crewed on seiners and worked reef net gear. When I owned the gillnetter I had likely 30 to 40 grand tied up in fishing gear. After I left the commercial side of fishing I ventured back into angling. At first using spinning and bait casting setups then getting back into the fly rods. This is where I learned there was a distinct difference between the different types of fishing. To me it was all fishing but too many on the river there were very distinct dividing lines between fly and gear. Also there was some very noticeable animosity between the different groups. Fly verses gear. I had never seen this before. It is not as bad now as it was say 15 to 20 years ago but the lines are still there.

At any rate as I fished more I tended to use the fly rods more and more until now I almost exclusively fly fish. I will still pickup the bait caster on occasion when seeking salmon for the table or the smoker but it is fly likely 98% of the time. I don’t know how much money I have into fishing stuff. I have 3 boats that are used for fishing. I own a dozen and a half or more fly rods, a couple of bait casters and a few spinning rods, all with reels and lines and stuff. I have an extensive fly tying setup. Not as much as some have but plenty more than others. It would take some time to figure it all out and it really doesn’t matter. With all of this said I still think of myself as a fisherman. I have done one form or another all my life and do not think of one method as better than any other although I do have some very individual opinions on commercial fishing that are not relevant to this conversation.

19

The Question was “How much of an investment…”? .
That is a bit of a loaded question.
What do we have?
How much time?
Where does it (F.F) figure in or thoughts or our actions?
See what I mean about investment.
I remember waching my Dad fly cast when I was a kid (a long time ago) and thinking that some day I would like to do that .
Some day is now.
I see flowing water either in person or on film or photo and my first thought is either"Trout" or “No trout” .
The tally of rods that are in my arsenal is around a dozen. None of them of the high end . All of them have a story.
The "Shakespear Wonder rod that Dad gave me in the sixties for my first fly rod. Then there is the little Orvis graphite that I picked up at a hospice thrift store for 2$ and that Betty Hiner rewrapped for me. There is baseball bat action rod that one of my daughters gave to me as a Christmas gift that I wont get rid of for any thing. The Oris that I continue to break but wont get rid of it either as my wife got it for me as a gift (I would not recomend that rod to any one).
I couldnt afford 1400$ for an Orvis tying desk so my wife took a look at the Orvis model and redisigned it , drafted it up and I built one better suited to my needs . Cost me 50 $ in parts (oak was free ) and only about a hundred and fourty hours in labor ,now I have a first class tool and material storage unit.
Most of my vacations are all centered around flyfishing .My wife has made all the arraingments for us to go to the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival this year. I have the basics for tying flys and am constantly on the lookout for different tools that can be used for tying (pester your local dental hygenist for used dental tools , they are awsome).
There are waters in the world that will never see the shadow of my rod cast across them . I dont regret that , the knowing that such places exist are enough for me.
Yours ,
Perch

20

Perch ,
Actually the original question was in relation to how much of your LIFE was/is invested in fly fishing. To many it constitutes their entire social and personal calendars. My curiosity was to find out from those who chose to respond just what “percentage” of ther life ( lives) , social and personal, was devoted to fly fishing. I think I implied mine was minimal although I love to and almost exclusively fly fish. I’d imagine that proximity to suitable fly fishing settings would have a large impact on the responses. BUT, probably i wanted to find out how many of (us) don’t know from a house fly but love to fly fish as do I.

Mark