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Fly Tying

Justin H

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About Justin H

  • Rank
    Advanced Member
  • Birthday 12/05/2001

Previous Fields

  • Favorite Species
    Bluegill
  • Security
    22

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  • Location
    Iowa

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  1. I certainly agree that fly fishing can, in most circumstances, be more difficult than other forms of fishing, and I also believe that (to me) there is something special about fly fishing. But herein lies the problem. As Poopdeck said, it is about human nature. When an activity is special to one, and when one has invested time and effort into that activity (as tends to happen when that activity is difficult--like fly fishing), it tends to build a sense of pride. Pride is fine when it is controlled, but in my experience it can inadvertently lead to thoughts of superiority and by extension elitism--even if said elitism is unintended. My thoughts are just that this is an important thing to be aware of, because I think that a fair number of fly fishermen accidentally come off as being elitist--especially to those who don't fly fish, or grow elitist over time without being conscious of it. I am not trying to accuse anyone, I just like to think about these things because this is a pitfall I wish to avoid. As I said, I have not met many fly fishermen in person, so many of my thoughts are based on what I see in other fly fishermen's writing in articles/blogs and it may not be representative of fly fishermen as a whole. I had simply never thought much about elitism before so I suppose I should have worded it "elitism appears to be stronger than I realized before". I will say that this forum is quite different than many other sites I have visited in a very positive way, nearly everyone here seems to be open to others no matter their fishing style/preferences.
  2. I never realized elitism was quite so strong in fly fishing until now. I knew it existed of course, but I didn't realize the extent of it or how deeply ingrained it is within fly fishing. I guess what I am saying that this discussion has made me think. My experience with this topic is very limited, since I've only met a few fly fishermen in person, and because the elitist attitude doesn't always show itself clearly through the online resources I have used to learn (at least without already being aware of the issue, looking back with a critical eye I can see it in a few places now). Luckily those fly fishermen I have met all seemed very open-minded and pleasant--a couple of them were even fishing side-by-side with their spin fishing buddies. Anyways, I think it is a good thing to discuss and think about, so I am glad this discussion has come up and I have learned a lot from it. There are limitations to being self-taught via the internet, and missing important issues like this seems to be one. So thank you to those who have brought this to light for me. I believe it is prudent to be aware of such things so that I can be more aware of my thoughts, and don't find myself accidentally falling into pitfalls such as this without even realizing it.
  3. Agreed, I am glad you have a couple friends that are interested in and appreciate fishing/the outdoors. Most of my friends would rather do other things, and overall I find that most people my age don't understand the difference between fishing and catching, although a few do. Generally one of the first questions I get when someone learns that I fish is "Do you catch a lot?" Catching fish is great, but you can't catch all the time, and I believe that is what keeps most people away. That said, in late spring/early summer I saw far more people than normal show interest in the outdoors--a hopeful sign--but that interest seems to be waning again now that more "exciting" options are becoming available.
  4. Nice video Mike, those looked like some great little streams. I thought some of those sunfish (third one caught I think along with some others) looked like redbreast but it is hard to be sure. Half the fun with sunfish (for me) is identification, especially with the crazy hybrids. Was the water really tannin-stained on the first stream, or was that just mud from the rain? Also, wow that is a big bluegill Caloosa! Interesting colors on the head.
  5. I took the kayak to a little backwater pond for pike this morning. Not much for size today, but there was good numbers and a few chunky bass. Also, not a fish but a neat picture anyways, the old bridge across the river at the parking lot. The pike pond is a little bit upstream plus a portage through the woods.
  6. Thanks, that makes sense, I definitely agree that the un-coated ones look nicer.
  7. Good luck, I am sure you will have a great time no matter what. The driftless is a very special place--I understand the obsession. Looking forward to seeing some pictures!
  8. Those look great Mark! I especially like the parachute fly--very buggy. Just curious, why are the top three coated with something (I assume UV resin?) and the bottom two are not?
  9. Nice story, those torn up flies are hard to let go, they seem to fish better sometimes. I agree with richmce, frame that photo! I keep a box full of "memory flies", and many of them are simply flies that are worn from a good day/season of fishing, just like your popper. I hope to put them in a shadow box on my wall some day.
  10. Yes I did have trouble, so after a few tries I ended up just putting a thick coat of beeswax on the dubbing loop thread and putting the clump of deer hair straight in that way. After some adjusting I made it work, but it wasn't ideal, so a pic would be great! It may just be because I use a cheap chip clip and it doesn't always hold materials well. Also, thanks for the compliment on the buford, but it doesn't use a loop (although it does look like it does), everything is either spun, reverse tied, folded, or tied in in small clumps. It is quite a long process and there are a lot of materials in there, but it is worth it for how well it fishes and casts. Only problem is each one ends up being tied a little different because I can never remember all the steps. 😄 @Mogup Thank you!
  11. Tube buford. They always look like a huge mess until they get wet
  12. I like it! Great background for a very nice fly.
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