Flyfishing envy/prejudice

[shoebop 0]

I was reading an online forum discussion this morning about Gear restrictions (GR) on some rivers here in Michigan. I was surprised to read about the strong feelings some people have against flyfishermen. There seems to be a stereotype (read prejudice) of flyfishermen as elisist snobs who are interested in keeping all the best waters to themselves with the money and means to get certain waters set aside for their exclusive use. I have only been flyfishing for a little ove 2 years now but I must admit that prior to taking up the sport, I did have an image of flyfishing as a somewhat elite sport practiced by people of "means". I think this is somewhat reinforced by society in general but is certainly inherent in the sport as well because of the skill level needed to use this method of angling.

 

My head is spinning right now with ideas and thoughts about this topic and I am afraid I cannot get them all in writing at one time. This might be a good subject for a blog...if I were so inclined or if I were a writer. But alas...

 

Is this a case of the "haves" and "have nots"? Are they just envious? Is there merit to their claims? I do not feel as if I am an eliteist, (and who does), but I certainly have pride in my sport and my abilities. Does that qualify as egotism and a feeling of superiority over other kinds of anglers? I must admit that I think there is a definite danger here. I can see how this pride could turn into the ugly attitude of angling supremacy. But having said that, are bait fishermen just envious of the ability to trick a fish with little bits of fur and feather and to flycast those little fluffy bits? Can we do something to improve relations between our fishing ranks? Should we?

 

I remember last fall I was fishing for salmon side-by-side with alot of other fishermen along a river. It isn't my cup-o-tea to be in such close proximity to other fishermen regardless of their ilk. But everyone was on their best behavior and there was a great deal of cooperation and respect for the others sharing the water. It was a great experience! As you know a flyfisher needs a little more room to cast and all were very accomodating to this consideration. At one point, a father and son came walking down the path behind me and as they approached, the father said to the son, "Watch out for him. He's flyfishing!" And then he said something to the effect that that was "real fishing". I must admit to a swelling of pride upon hearing those words. But, was that just a popular prejudice/conception that the general public has of us. I took it as a compliment but was it a compliment at all or a sarcasm?

 

I have yet to experience any ill-will directy from another sportsman, (excuse me if I'm not PC in my use of a gender specific term), reguarding this topic. But, after reading the online forum this morning, I now wonder what they say about us behind our backs? Should we be concerned? No, I don't think that our sport is threatened in any way but just as a bloc oc of sportsmen it would be better if we were more united. Just because! I'm out of space here... Shoebop

[Steeldrifter 0]

I've always found it amusing that non fly fisherman (spin/bait/casting anglers) always say Fly fisherman are elitist and biased towards non fly fisherman...yet time after time when you see someone insulting someone else fishing style it seems to almost always be the spin/bait fisherman insulting the fly fisherman. So IMO these people that say fly fisherman are elitist snobs are some of the biggest hypocrites I have ever seen.

 

The issue of special regulation water has always been a hot button topic here in Michigan, and there is one Mi based sportsman forum which I left years ago and refuse to even click on anymore simply because the members there are so childish there's no way to even have an adult conversation there without it turning into insults and attacks, so certain sites you'll learn to just avoid because they are a waste of time.

 

What these people don't realize is that there are people of every skill, attitude and wealth in every style of fishing. You get the spin guys saying fly fisherman are a bunch of rich SOB's....yet there they sit in their $25,000 bass boat loaded with 12 rod/reel combos that cost $300 a pop. yet they don't see the irony in that.

 

The way I look at it is like this. I'm 41 yrs old. I've fished since I was 4 yrs old. The past 23 yrs I have been almost strictly a fly angler by choice. I am not even close to being "well off" and I live month to month most months just trying to pay bills and have money left to take fishing trips with. I don;t look down upon anyone that fishes legally. Do I feel fly fishing is a higher skill to learn than other styles? Yes I do, but I don't feel I'm "better" than anyone that fishes differently, just that I choose to spend a long time learning a different craft.

 

Steve

[shoebop 0]

...yet time after time when you see someone insulting someone else fishing style it seems to almost always be the spin/bait fisherman insulting the fly fisherman.

 

That is true in my experience as well, Steve. Not even in private conversations have I heard a belittling word uttered toward a spin/baitcast fisherman. So, is it envy on their part or do we exude an unbeknownst haughty attitude? Maybe some of both?

 

That being said, I think it is an "American trait" to not be told what you can't do. All you have to do is tell someome they can't do something if you want a fight. On the afore mentioned forum, there were a number of flyfishermen that pitched in the disscussion in favor of no gear restrictions on any Michigan waters (except barbed hooks). Talk about hypocritical, why draw the line at barbed hooks!

While I applaud their peackeeping efforts, I question their logic. Maybe we should just get out the gill nets and be done with it! Of course there needs to be gear restrictions! They just don't want to be on the side that's excluded. And remember, we are not excluding them, just their method. They can fish those waters too. Just comply to the regs like we flyfishermen do. If I were a gill netter, should I complain and disparage those that don't net and exclude me from fishing "their" waters? Should a firearms hunter complain that he can't hunt during the archery only season? Sounds silly when you put it that way doesn't it? Like it or not, the DNR has deemed GR as a conservation method for an extreemly limited number of fisheries. And lets be clear, IT IS NOT EXCLUSIONARY! All can fish those waters if they comply with the regulations. GR is, in my understanding, an experimental conservation effort. GR was implimented as a way to limit (there's that concept again) large numbers of people from decimating a very fragile fishery and a delicate species.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I'll tell ya another thing I find ironic about those guys that complain about fishing gear restrictions/special reg waters. Most times those same guys that complain about gear regs for fishing have No problem with supporting certain hunting zones as archery only or pistol/shotgun zone only. If they have no problems abiding by the special regulation for hunting then why do they feel they can complain about the special regs for fishing?

 

In my honest opinion I think some people are just not happy unless they can complain about someone else. That's why I don't even bother with those forums any longer. Life's too short to be saddled with unhappy people in your life

[Piker20 0]

I agree with many of Steves points. I believe, having bait fished, lure fished and fly fished that there are some difficult skills involved in all aspects of angling. The people who consistently catch in all seasons or catch bigger fish will be those that learn the subtle things and then do them well.

I believe that Fly fishing suffers from the hang over effect the Edwardians/Victorians left around the parts of the globe that came under the British Empire. Transporting trout eggs to far flung places so the gentry can catch them carries that aspect of elitism. Here in the UK that still is perpetuated by land owners charging ridiculous sums of money for access to the river to fish for a migratory fish that they, and their ancestors do nothing to effect. A lot of these fisheries become corporate play days and you need a lottery win to have a week on there.

I think that the proliferation of coarse species on fly gear and the move into Salt fly (in UK) is doing a lot to remove the stigma of fly fishing and show that it is just another great way to catch fish. Although one big monthly magazine had several heated letters in it on 2010 about the publication of articles on Pike and Carp on the fly. So some elitism remains.

[oatka 0]

I never leave the house to go fishing without my tweed coat on. Period! If it's not on, I'm not fly fishing!!!

[shoebop 0]

I never leave the house to go fishing without my tweed coat on. Period! If it's not on, I'm not fly fishing!!!

 

 

You too? Cognac anyone? Wine & cheese? Kippers?

[Piker20 0]

dude you let yourself down on the kippers! its port and cheese and kippers would be the butlers breakfast. quail eggs on fresh granary toast would do his lordship

[ditz 0]

How about some Grey Poupon?

[Piker20 0]

Dare I say breeks are great for wearing waders. I don't own a pair but am tempted.

[Goats 0]

I fly fish almost exclusively for carp from about early June through mid September on Lake St. Clair. Elitist?

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

Well I must say I am a true elitist I only fly fish with a bamboo rod, dry flies, and as mentioned before my tweed jacket. I don't believe in allowing anyone without a long rod on any waters in MI. Also if anyone wants to play a round of golf after catching a few native trout I'm more than willing to strap on the nickers for a skins game.

[JSzymczyk 0]

...yet time after time when you see someone insulting someone else fishing style it seems to almost always be the spin/bait fisherman insulting the fly fisherman.

 

That is true in my experience as well,

 

wow, really? I can't tell you the number of times I've heard snide comments from fly fishermen both in print and spoken, about "bait drowners" and "lure chuckers" and other various sub-human methods of catching fish--- just look at how many posts are on this board on the topic of using scents while fishing. The general consensus is that scent is akin to bait fishing, which is far beneath "serious" fly anglers. There is absolutely part of the fly fishing world which is elitist and foolish. We are our own worst enemy, by and large. A few years ago in "Fly Rod and Reel" magazine there was an article about a "chef" in New York City who discovered fly fishing, and he talked about how he immediately went out and bought a river-front estate in the Adirondacks, and considered it "just part of the initial investment" to get started fly fishing. No mention was made of the ego which would justify such an absurd attitude. Yes that's an extreme example, but to me there is no doubt fly fishermen often look down their noses at fishermen of other types.

[Steeldrifter 0]

...yet time after time when you see someone insulting someone else fishing style it seems to almost always be the spin/bait fisherman insulting the fly fisherman.

 

That is true in my experience as well,

 

wow, really? I can't tell you the number of times I've heard snide comments from fly fishermen both in print and spoken, about "bait drowners" and "lure chuckers" and other various sub-human methods of catching fish--- just look at how many posts are on this board on the topic of using scents while fishing. The general consensus is that scent is akin to bait fishing, which is far beneath "serious" fly anglers. There is absolutely part of the fly fishing world which is elitist and foolish. We are our own worst enemy, by and large. A few years ago in "Fly Rod and Reel" magazine there was an article about a "chef" in New York City who discovered fly fishing, and he talked about how he immediately went out and bought a river-front estate in the Adirondacks, and considered it "just part of the initial investment" to get started fly fishing. No mention was made of the ego which would justify such an absurd attitude. Yes that's an extreme example, but to me there is no doubt fly fishermen often look down their noses at fishermen of other types. .

 

Yes Jim, Really, I fully stand by what I said. You are using a VERY small sector of fly fisherman as a brood example. By an large the majority of fly fisherman are not elitist nor look down their noses at anyone else (just look at the majority of the people on FTF to get a good example of that). You are talking about a very small percentage of the fly fishing crowd and that is not a good measuring stick of the group as a whole. Not to mention when fly anglers say "bait dunker" 9 times out of 10 it is said in a more or less poke to the rubs joking style manner, hell we even have the member title of "bait fisherman: here on FTF for members till they reach 10 posts. So when you see it in print most times it is just in a more or less joking manner. But if you would have ever seen some of the truly heated arguments on the Mi based website that have taken place over the last 10 years then you would have seen what I am talking about when I say most times it is the other way around.

 

Not to even mention that the face of the fly angler is changing over the past decade. Since the introduction of DVD's such as "troutbum diaries" and all the other copy cat DVD's that followed the average fly angler now a days has changed to a bit younger, middle class type angler. The days of the wealthy older snobish angler are gradually fading away to a different group of people it seems. Is there still a small percentage of rich well off snobby fly fisherman? Sure there is, but that is a small group now and by no means represents the face of the fly angler any longer. So while true for a very small percentage...you're example is an extreme case rather than the Norm

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Hell yeah, totally 31337. Not sure how many times i have said 'stupid baitchucker' but generally the guys who throw lures and bait and shit i see around here have no idea about conservation or ethics. Not sure how many times i have had to say to bait anglers fishing in 'fly only' zones and met with rudeness.

 

Baitchuckers snagging fish and littering all over the place, drives me nuts, baitchuckers u can tell have been fishing as there is a giant pile of garbage, old bags, boxes, all sorts of fireline and mono strung out all over the place even if a garbage bin is 10m away. Lazy bastards! This really pisses me off, the whole riverbank is covered in egg sacks and murder trebles.

 

Baitchucker going around poaching the shit out of everything and killing as many wild steelhead as possible, sometimes they just squeeze salmon to get the eggs out and throw the poor fish back. Generally fly anglers do not behave like this at all!

 

Yes i am elite and everyone else can get stuffed.