Part 2: (first post was too long- filtered out) Continued from Part 1:
IMHO, if it's worth anything... There are many 'aspects' to flyfishing (and the list doesn't cover everything): 1. Some tie their own flies, some build their own rods. Some even build their own reels. This is different from the 'other' kinds of fishing, unless you're one of the very few that build lures. 2. Then there is the art of casting the fly. This definitely sets the flyfisher apart from the rest. 3. Then there is the 'fishing' of the fly, after you get it to the water- the presentation-be it movement or dead-drift. 4. Then after the take, there is the playing of the fish, the landing, the release. > So how many rules are you going to make as to what qualifies as flyfishing? > Where will you place the most emphasis- #1, 2, 3, or 4? Do you have to see > the fish at all? Do you have to cast at your particular quarry? What if a > second fish grabs your fly before the intended fish can take it? Does it > not count as flyfishing now? Are the rules now getting in the way of > enjoyment? A trout fisherman may make a 100 60' casts over 4 hours to catch > one fish. A bill fisherman makes maybe one 20' cast, hooks a fish, and > takes 4 hours to land it. Two different types of 'flyfishing' altogether, > wouldn't you say? So casting for the saltwater billfisherman fades to > insignifigance compared with playing the fish. Ever felt a 14wt fly rod? > It's a STICK. Casting was not meant to be its forte. Fighting and wearing > down sea-monsters is what it's made for. But for bonefish, it's totally the > opposite. > > How many rules do you need to have fun catching fish on a fly rod with > flies? If you can't enjoy it without rules, make up as many as you need to > qualify it as flyfishing in your mind. Someone will disagree with at least > one of them. But if you can enjoy yourself without gazilliions of > self-imposed rules, good for you, too. C&R, barbless hooks, heavy tippets > for faster landing/releasing (less fish stress)- these are all fishing > manners and ethics, not rules (unless you are in C&R only waters). > > My 'rule' is pretty simple. Did you legally catch the fish on a fly rod and > tied fly? If you did, then you obviously were flyfishing as opposed to any > other form. And dry-fly fishermen/purists, when you were wind-dabbling or > skating a dry caddisfly downwind on the surface and took a fish? You were > flyfishing too, were you not? But you used the wind to help you catch a > fish that you did not see. Is that not equivalent to trolling? > > I've fished saltwater all kinds of ways, including flycasting and > fly-trolling. Trolling flies can be MUCH more difficult and physically > challenging than casting to raised fish. If you want to know why, let me > know. I MUCH prefer casting to fish and get the most satisfaction that way. > But I've also seen flyfisherman get so frustrated at fish not hitting flies > that they stuck a live chum sardine on the fly hook just to catch fish. > OH-oh! Baitfishing! But wait! It was still caught on a flyrod! What > mutant form of fishing are we dealing with now? Back to rule one for > some...not catching anything is worse than anything else, including breaking > 'rules'. They'll say at least they didn't put the fly rod down and pick up > the bait rod. > > To each his own. Who's style of fishing would pass the scrutiny of an avid > rulemaker, anyway? Not even his own. > > My 1 cent worth. > > DonO
