There are obviously many fly fishers on this list that are either unable to spend much time on the water or are just learning the game. I, for one, fall into both of those categories. I am also crippled by not knowing any of the local water. Yea, there are some who spend a fair amount of time on the water and don't contribute, but don't punish those wishing they could spend more time on the water or are just learning the sport. Some are even likely to be living their fly fishing dreams through these posts.
I am new to the sport. Have not had much time to get my line wet and am not yet familiar with the water around here (Snoqualmie valley). I grew up in the little town of Oakesdale, about half way between Spokane and Pullman on the back roads. I knew quite a few of the lakes near Cheney, but I was never exposed to either fly fishing or stream/river fishing as a kid. Even though posts to the group don't give away all of the information (nor is that expected), I find them very helpful. There were two things that turned me on to this sport. Over the past several years, I would go steelhead fishing every fall on the Snake with my Fiances father. It was something that I really looked forward to doing each fall. I am sad to report that he passed away this last February. I guess you would say that he was my fishing buddy. I really miss those times, though we weren't fly-fishing. Along came the boyfriend of my fiances' sister, who was a fly fishing guide in AK. He introduced me to the sport and I am now hooked. Unfortunately we live in different states so we don't get to go fishing together much. I think that I prefer streams/rivers, but then again I have never really been exposed to fly-fishing lakes. I do wish that I had the opportunities that you all have had by learning your fly-fishing skills alongside your father or another fishing buddy. For right now, I am in the dark just trying to learn the hard way. Posts to this group help provide some light on the subject of fly-fishing, not to mention discovering and learning new water. Everyone was a beginner at some time and had some guidance to get where they are today. Just think how much you would know about the sport if you hadn't had that guidance. Sure, maybe a few that learned everything on their own, but they are definitely the minority. For now, I guess I would fall into the category of a "Lurker", but hopefully someday I will have something to offer to the group. Perhaps even someday I will be able to introduce and teach someone the sport, but I have a long way to go. Terry Warwick Carnation, WA -----Original Message----- From: Kent Lufkin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 3:51 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Lurkers I just found that the WAFF list now boasts over 250 email subscribers. I also learned that only about 50 subscribers post to the list on a regular basis. That means that roughly 80% of WAFF subscribers are so-called 'lurkers' - people who receive the list's email posts but who do not respond with posts of their own. In fairness, I'm sure many lurkers are novice fishers, fishers who don't feel that they have anything worth contributing, or are otherwise just plain shy. A number of lurkers are probably now-and-then fishers or are just too darned busy to post even an occasional email. However, I also know for a fact that a number of lurkers are fly shop employees or owners. They subscribe to the list, gathering valuable fishing information which they then feed to their customers as a 'value-added' perk. For whatever reason though, lurkers take but don't give anything back in return. I personally enjoy reading the posts to the list - even the off-subject ones, the newbie questions that we've all heard before (and asked ourselves once upon a time), the subjects I'm not interested in, and even the occasional spats between subscribers. I read 'em all, delete most, and respond to a few. Bottom line is that I've learned quite a bit more about flyfishing than I would have without subscribing to the list. But I'm beginning to wonder about all the wonderful information and advice we've been posting. It bothers me to think we've been innocently sharing it with others who contribute nothing back to the group in return. Not to mention the trove of past posts available in the searchable archives. Thanks to technology and the subscribers who've generously shared their skills, we now have the capability of 'unsubscribing' lurkers from the list. We can also password-protect the archives on our web site, making them available only to active subscribers. The questions though, is should we? The list is only as good as the information that subscribers post to it. If lurkers don't contribute to the group, their absence won't be felt. On the other hand, restricting the list smacks to me as just another form of elitism, the same kind of smug, 'I'm-better-than-you-are' attitude that others think characterize we flyfishers in general. What do you think? Kent Lufkin
