Too me, the generalization that fly fishers are looked upon as a tweedy, pipe smoking, creel carrying and snobbish angler is completely off base. Many of us fly fishers perceive this to be the way we are viewed by others who prefer to catch their quary by a different means. Sure, some of the bearded "chunking & winding" good ole boy bass hunters in their $30,000 bass boats feel that way about us, but I don't think the average C&W guy is all that different from fly fishers. I have many friends who are among that fishing fraternity, and have found them more "curious" about my fly fishing and how I do it, than looking down their nose at me. Maybe it's because I still own my big bass boat, have a beard, drink a few beers and still chunk and wind on occasion.
I've converted more than one "good ole boy" bass fisherman to fly fishing. All it takes is a good size bass on a 4 wt. or a bull bluegill an a 2 wt. Their next question is, "When are you going to take me trout fishing?" Each September I take five close friends, and my three sons, to New Mexico for a week-long trout expedition. Six of them still do a lot of C&W, but the highlight of their fishing year is the NM trip for browns, bows and cutts using little "flea rods" that I built for them. You recon that we fly fishers have been looking down collective noses at the C&W guy. Kind of like the Pheasant hunter looking down his nose at the Coon hunter. ;~)) Two completely different types of hunting, but hunting just the same.
How many of you still do some C&W? Awww, comon - fess up!
JIMMY D
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Monte Smith wrote:
Wes,
Is this lifted from the Westfly board?
Monte
Wes Wada wrote:
If my Dad thought he could catch fish with his fly rod, he'd use it. If he thought he'd catch more fish with a spinning rod, he used that.
So maybe, just maybe, we really all are just anglers. And sure, some anglers are in it for different reasons -- and that might be considered snob appeal.
And yes, along with snobs there are slobs. But when I was spin fishing, I don't remember ever leaving crap along the river or lake, so I don't think the fact that you spin fish makes you a slob. Nor does the fact that you fly fish make you a snob.
Personally, this angling thing is quite humorous -- I suppose you could come up with a more difficult method for catching fish but you'd have to work at it. I laugh out loud sometimes when folks take it too seriously.
Slobs I can do without. But I like the snobs -- they play well in my cartoons
