What I would like to see in FAOL is more trout fishermen sending in stories and photos of their trips. For that matter, I’d like to see more Warm Water fishers sending in stories, too. More stories for Panfish as well. More saltwater. More of everything.
Two years ago when I discovered this site what struck me as incredible – and I mean incredible in a good way – is that a site called Fly Anglers On Line gave so much respect and space to fly rod panfishing, bass fishing, all manner of non-trout fly fishing.
I was stunned to see this because, like most people who take up the sport, you feel really wierd at first if you’re using fly tackle to go after anything OTHER than a trout, a salmon or some other coldwater fish. Living in Kansas, holding a fly rod in public made me feel like an alien from another planet.
But my thing is, I dig reading about people fishing for anything. My hope is that many of the people who I KNOW are good writers – and I’m talking about most of you guys, who for some reason are restricting your fishing writing to FAOL Bulletin Board posts – will devote a portion of your talent to writing feature stories about the fishing you do.
And if you ask me – and nobody has – there aren’t ENOUGH trout fishing stories in FAOL. Who’s fault is that? Chris Chin up in Canada is sure doing his part by showing us some beautiful environments trout live in, and man, I totally zone out looking at his photos of such places. But Chris seems to be the only person writing about trout fishing besides Ladyfisher and Sir Castwell.
I don’t see it as Ladyfisher’s and Mr. Castwell’s life mission to be the ONLY American trout fishing writers on this site. They are generous people who are willing to share site space on any fishing topic under the sun. Rick Zieger is the same way, and so am I. We just write because we dig doing it. But you guys all dig writing as much as we do.
So to anyone who’s upset or feeling deprived because they’re not seeing enough stories published here about the fish species or fishing styles you like best, hey, I feel your pain. Well, just pull your chair up to a computer keyboard and let it rip. It’s all right there inside your head. You’re stories will educate and entertain your fellow aficionados whatever their numbers. And you’ll definitely be helping the rest of us flyrodders because about everybody who reads this site is interested in whatever you’re doing, interested in how you think about stuff whether they agree or not.
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
). I would rather not catch gar but it happens 
, but my second was a flounder 
.
