Sometimes the Truth Hurts

[Guest flyfishBDS]

Ok so I can';t helpmyself. In case there is any confusion This was written with the article in mind not Terry's comments on his personal choices, I might have some small disagreement with some of his side comments, I'd endorse his personal choice.

Cheers Steve

I confess to reading this piece with a certain jaundiced eye, a bias if you will _ we all have them, it colors our individuality.

But I was expecting something more than another rather self-congratulatory, self aggrandizing, self-stroking piece of elitism, which too often pervades and re-perpetuates itself throughout our community. I blame lesser writers; I should know I count myself among their number, rather than authors whose grasp of language, the fly-fishing spirit and its impact on the human condition is to be admired deeply. You may choose Lyons, Haig-Brown, Gierach, McGuane, though the latter at times may be grasping to close to home for my tastes, or a handful of others,.

The above article’s theme comes from this lesser pool, a font that sustains certain types you meet on river banks, and hope to never again, so often will they corner you with the trite and clichéd sermon _ usually delivered in a supercilious tone _ “I don’t need to catch fish.” A more truthful statement might be "I can have a good time fly fishing whether I catch fish or not".

Perhaps I’m a cynical old hack but I couldn’t help thinking the first phrase was conjured by a just skunked writer struggling with his own inadequacies. A little humility, or recognition of a worthy opponent, wouldn’t hurt. I guess don’t like bad losers.

Now its not that I count myself a head-hunter or body counter either. I still know the day when I found I had caught enough fish _ enough to sate the thirst I had to catch fish, learn more, see more, to catch up after 20 misguided years without a fly rod in my hand. I had been driven to fish hard, to catch more, learn more, bigger fish, harder fish, saltwater fish, driven by a fear I had started too late and would never fit it all in. A brush with my own mortality around the time I started fly fishing may have been partly to blame. But that one glorious day, when I finally lost count and didn’t care I learnt patience, that I didn’t have to catch up, and simply what time I had fly fishing was well spent.

A few years later I once bemused a lodge full of well-heeled customers on a famous river in Idaho, when my guide and I having stayed out late and returned sunburned and smiling. There was almost pity in their eyes when my tally of 3 fish, none bigger than 21” was revealed, scanty compared the to 40-50 fish hauls the others were reveling in, yet it remains the finest days fly fishing I’ve had in this country. There happiness wasn’t in catching more fish than me, there was no competitiveness, indeed they wanted me to share in their bounty and were generous with advice, and offers to join them. Instead joined in a ritual demotion of the contents of the lodge bar, joined as fly fisher having special days in a very special corner of the world.

And this is exactly the point our author missed, there is a generosity of spirit and shared passion at the heart of fly fishing and tying. Where else do those making money from an “invention” give others the recipe to their success and indeed their livelihood? How many times have you mention a persona doing well on the stream, asked them what they were using and not been given all the information you need. Many many times Ive been offered a fly by strangers on a river bank, the best hole, and advice on technique, leaders. Several have become friends, one now guides with me on the Tailwater.

Articles like this tend to adopt a "if your not fishing this way your not fly fishing" stance, which has stood at the heart of fly fishing elitism since Halford and Skues crossed quills, and runs so contrary to the real spirit of the riverbank.

Elitism in this sport isn't about money to buy gear, it’s not about privileged access to water, or the ability to fly off to far away places. Exclusion is the issue here, as if the writer holds the writ on what is fly-fishing. I’ve listened, or been deluged, by tirades against nymphing, against indicators, egg patterns, san juan worms, droppers, boat fishing, shore fishing, wading, trout parks, stocked fish and catch and kill and catch and release, flies with bead, flies with glue and flies tied with anything other than road kill. If we listen to them all we might as well take up golf or sit on the BCS committee. The first will get us out into the fresh air once in a while; the second option would attract less criticism.

If you think I’m exaggerating go read FAOL or Fly Fisherman magazine bulletin board for a couple of weeks.

So why is it we spend so much time pontificating on what others are doing, how they are doing it, and why it is so wrong, or to use the buzzwords of modern fly fishing why these practices are unethical. Writers can do it because its easy, requires very little intellectual vigor, and is best accomplished with a hangover _ did I mention I wrote political columns and comment for 7 years, I have form in this regard.

It’s easier for a writer to criticize someone catching large numbers of fish than own up they don’t know how its being done, or to try and find out.

In the small towns I lived in back in Australia you would find these local “busybodies”, these “stickybeaks”, if I can wax colloquial, determined to find fault in others ways; using their words as a stepladder to build their own egos and self importance. They never seemed to have any friends. Instead they would regurgitate old slurs, half-truths and downright lies to sycophantic toadies, here I think you call it a militia, but I could be wrong.

So how could so many have fallen for the same old spiel in this sport of the individual?

The real shame of the fly fishing is that so many have confused the message of our literary gurus, twisting the messages that fly fishing is a superior way to fish, into a mantra that “If I fly fish I will be superior.”

“A fly is better than a worm therefore I’m better than a worm fisherman.” QED

The more fly fishers there are the less superior our hero feels hence the exclusion policy. Australia used to have one to block out the “Yellow Peril” until we started to grow up

I don’t with to offend anyone who fishes eggs but how often do you hear “I never fish an egg they, aren’t ethical”. Translated it means to tying on an egg pattern is unethical/immoral or “I’m more moral than you are” Notwithstanding the fact the fly is legal and actually real eggs form an important fall food source for many trout. So do worms both aquatic and terrestrial yet hear the screams over fishing a San Juan. Our author makes clear his disdain for large indicators and .

Perhaps we should level the playing field and all fish collar hackle dries upstream. I’ve actually pondered that rule change for our One Fly competition but only under the influence of fine single malt.

Like appreciation for single malts, we all find our own path into this peculiar pastime. We all find our niche, dependant upon our circumstances, our environment, family commitments, the rivers bays, lakes or oceans we can access, the species that inhabit them, their diets, abundance and size. Yes we can all dream we were living on the banks of the Henrys Fork, the Deschutes, the Keys, or the Sea of Cortez. But it would be a boring place, not to mention bloody crowded if we were all in the one place with the one fly and the one technique. Would a Razorback fan scorn another simply because he chose the away strip rather than the one for home games, or that he was born too late for the last national title. I think not. Rather they are united in their passion.

We too share a faith, the world of the long wand, a shared belief that should be uniting instead of divisive

Diversity on the other hand is richness, it fuels innovation, encourages new ideas, new rods, reels lines and flies. Its gives us new places to dream of, new materials to tie with and new ways to catch fish we otherwise cannot. I had a piece recently published on fishing soft hackles in which I used the line “Imagination is not a curse”, which has become my personal mantra for fly fishing.

Fly fishing is personal, we make our own choices, on how and why we fish this way. There is a place for us all, whether we want to catch one fish or dozens.

[gonefishin]

WOW flyfishBDS... When was it you swalered that dictionary??

Heh heh Just kidding. Good read. Especially the last sentence. Fishing (not just fly fishing) is a personal experience and there is room for all.

As long as a person is fishing legal then ethics is a personal choice and should be practiced as a person see's best fit.

[WebFreeman]

BDS, that was very nicely said. You should put your columnist hat back on. You've still got it.

[LostMyWife]

LMW,

As suspected, the statistics do show the overall mortality rate. There are things that can be done to lower the probability of killing a fish, as GF has stated. Basically, if we "worry" about killing fish and put these things into practice, the mortality rate drops for the individual fisherman. Many don't know these techniques or choose not to use them. I admit at times I have "old timer's" disease, but I never lip a fish and I always try to keep them in the water. That's one reason I don't get too upset when a big fish breaks off after a short fight. I figure that gives them a better chance to live to fight another day.

But, if I land one and can tell it will not survive, I will show that fish the way to my smoker...

What do you use to put the fish in that you are taking home. I have not seen anyone using stringers, and only a few creels. Plus, and tery, I do not need any grief here, I do not understand how a creel keeps the fish fresh? Do you submerge it, what's the deal.

[gonefishin]

I use a snap stringer and whenever I go fishing I keep a cooler with blue ice in it in my car to put the fish in to keep them fresh. In my earlier post I used the term as the state does when they say 'creel limit' that however may be giving away my age as I think they now use the terms daily limit and possesion limit.

[LostMyWife]

Fly fishing is personal, we make our own choices, on how and why we fish this way. There is a place for us all, whether we want to catch one fish or dozens.

That sentence seems to sum up a lot of what everyone has said. I liked your article. My Theasurus key is now broken, but I get the drift.

Iam not sure what everyone that posts here does for a living. I know a few. I myself am an executive with a restaurant management firm that owns and runs 31 restaurants. The bottom line is that we have one small thing in common. We love to fish. If we leave it at that, the rest will take care of itself.

Again, very nicely put

LMW

[LostMyWife]

I use a snap stringer and whenever I go fishing I keep a cooler with blue ice in it in my car to put the fish in to keep them fresh. In my earlier post I used the term as the state does when they say 'creel limit' that however may be giving away my age as I think they now use the terms daily limit and possesion limit.

I guess I need to be more oservant. I do not remember seeing anyone with a snap stringer.

[Guest flyfishBDS]

I could have written "I'm not a fan" but thought I'd give you characters something to do

[Danoinark]

Steve

Hear Hear!!!!

LMW

The old wicker creels were designed to allow you to put wet grass in the bottom and to place fish on top of the grass to keep the fish fresh and cool. The newer arctic type canvas one's can be dipped in the cool water occassionaly to keep the fish fresh.

Dano

[Snow Fly]

I agree with Dano, great piece of writting. You put to word what I think the majority of members of this forum truly feel about fly fishing.