Someone posted the following paragraph....
>From the time my father and his friends returned from WWII through the late
70's, fly fishing was a sport based on camaraderie, love of the outdoors and
content over image. In those days, you couldn't just walk into a fly shop
and get geared up, sign up for a casting class and be on the water in a few
weeks. You had to seek out the people with the knowledge, equipment and
willingness to teach. On your end, you had to be a decent enough fellow
that
these people wanted to befriend you. Personal reputation, honor and
integrity played a big role in the development of the sport. You still see
bits of this tradition in a lot of fly clubs during the pledge process. A
current member often has to bring you before the group and explain your
contributions to the sport in order to gain membership.
Our perspective is always based on our life experiences. Unfortunately, in
most
cases that's not the way it happens for most people. In my own case, I
started fly-fishing
simply because that's how most people fished in Idaho in the early 70's. I
sent a mail
order out for a fly rod, reel, and a floating line. Learning to fly-fish
was taking
the stuff out behind my trailer to the S.F. Boise River and fishing for
squawfish.
Ethics learned were that if there was somebody fishing a lake or parked at a
trailhead
you simply drove on to find your own spot to fish. Those came by simple
encounters with
other fisherman. Not sure there's much tradition, etc. etc. in my learning
to fish.
What's a fly-fishing club anyway??
I do have vivid memory of my first encounter with yuppie fly fisherman. My
friend and I had
driven over my Idaho to fish the Seep Lakes. Found our little lake and
we're out in the canoe with our two hunting dogs, fishing wet flies, smoking
Swisher Sweets, and drinking beer. The dogs and beer cans kind of swished
around together in the canoe. We heard a car door slam and then over the
small rise west of the lake...they appeared. Tall and lean, wearing shades
and Orvis baseball caps. Decked in brand new waders, graphite rods, and
their vests I swear still had creases. My friend looked at them and
wondered if they sent their fishing clothes to the dry cleaner after fishing
trips. We moved off the inlet stream to let them fish, but they refused to
acknowledge the kindness. My friends dog then started staring and growling
at them. After awhile they looked over towards us rather nervously said
something about small fish and disappeared over that same small ridge. I
think they were worried that we acquired our fly fishing gear with a 357 and
didn't want to add to our collection.
After that I've run into many yuppie fisherman. Several stand out. One had
a tally wacker on his vest. He was keeping track of every fish that he had
ever caught in his life. I suppose that St. Peter might ask that question
at the pearly gates since Jesus was a fisherman. Another complained about
the cost of fly-fishing....Ross Reels, Sage rods, etc. etc. I just told him
I got all my stuff at a garage sale for $25. And the House of Hardy....was
that a women's hair salon that sold fly reels on the side?? But my
favorite, bless his heart, I ran into this spring. Fishing with a pontoon
boat with three rods, fish finder, anchor, etc. It was just the two of us
on that little lake and I was catching fish and he wasn't. He asked what
fly I was using and I truthfully answered my little green fly. I have
simplified my fishing to a little green fly and a big black fly. Fished
that way for the past 10 years. He needed a name besides little green
fly....so I just gave him the fly. I don't know what he named it, but it was
important to him to have a name for it. I think he enjoyed the rest of his
day.
Now most yuppie folks are really nice people. They just came from a city.
They work hard, and they play hard. Life is getting more than the next guy
and play is catching more fish than the next guy. Really harmless and
usually well meaning, within limits. Really dangerous yuppies are those
with guns like yuppie bird hunters but that's a different story.
Sadly, many of those yuppie fly-fisherman are much better fisherman than me.
And I suppose if the number of fish I catch means something, which I think
it doesn't, I might be concerned. Still I concur with your comment on
personal integrity, etc. etc. I fished Lenice Lake this spring with a
friend of mine. Now Lenice Lake is just the right size for maybe three or
four fisherman. There was two of us....soon there was five, then eight,
then twelve, then fifteen and then we left. Funny that no one moved on to
fish another lake. Guess they didn't start fishing in Idaho. Must have
learned their ethics from some fly club. I understand that they like
fishing with lots of company....even plan trips to eastern Washington where
hundreds of club members can fish one lake. Ran into them three times one
year. Though I finally had enough and asked them to turn off the radio at
sunset at Eel Lake. Fly-fishing and baseball really don't mix well. But
for those hard driving yuppie folks fishing, listening to a ball game, and
who knows talking on a cell phone at the same time is just part of their
lifestyle. I know I should be more tolerant, but I guess I must have been
cranky that day.
vladimir
