Actually, I did a six year stint working six additional hours a week in an after school program, culminating with one year where I was director of that program for 12 hours a week. I was making a lot of monthly "extra" money and a percentage of that went to buy rods, reels, flytying materials, pontoon craft etc. That is all done now except for a month of summer school each year, but I really stocked up and probably don't spend more than $100.00 a year now for fly fishing, if you don't count gas for fishing trips. Of course guided fishing trips to exotic locations have always been out of the question for me. Someday, maybe.
Besides that (as I am fond of telling my wife) fly fishing is actually a very inexpensive hobby. I doubt all of the money I have spent doesn't equal the cost of even one of the "toys" men buy: bass boats, fish and ski boats, personal watercraft, ATVs, snowmobiles, gun collections in gun safes, golfing. Somehow, I didn't get the toy gene, and am very happy to have my fly rods, my pontoon craft and my truck.
Tom Davenport
On Sunday, November 9, 2003, at 05:55 PM, Tony wrote:
Jimmy, Back in the 40's I repaired bamboo rods for fishing money. That was till 1946 when I started flying. Worked as an aircraft mechanic till I went in the Air force. Then it was tying flies on and off. Got back into fly fishing and tying full scale in 1988 after some heart problems. My flying days were over. I tied flies and wrapped graphite rods for my rat hole money while keeping my full time job with the FAA. I was an R&D engineering technician for 32 years. In 1990 I was put out on disability from a back injury on the job 20 years prior. Went into tying almost full time to make what I was loosing on disability. Between tying flies and building graphite rods we made out ok. When we moved to Arkansas the tying became a full time job and it just got to be more than I wanted to handle. Quit that and started making bamboo rods. That is where it stands now, tying when I want to and making a rod when I feel like it. This has helped me get my big boy toys and supplements my disability income. I like to putter in the shop making tools and doing honey doos. I fish when I want to also. I am one lucky person. Tony
"Jimmy D. Moore" wrote:
So, for my latest endeavor I’m asking one simple question of you. What do you do for a living? Better put would be, how do you support your fly fishing habit. I know many of you on the lists and also know what kind of work you do. They’re all interesting. With the numbers of us on these three lists, I daresay we cover most all occupations. I think it would be interesting to all to see the varied occupations. And Byard, Chris, and Bill, this is Fly Fishing related. LOL
