I'm a member over on flyfishing forum, and many of the guys (most of whom are just as passionate as we are with bowhunting)seem to show disdain for the movie, A River Runs Through It. This movie is still one of my all time favorites, but their claim is it spawned a growth in the sport from people wanting to be the next "Maclean":d Sort of odd logic, but oh well. If a movie (a real movie, not a hunting "show") were released about hunting, and it became a hit like this did, would you guys view it as a positive or negative thing? Oh, and a clip of one of my favorite parts of the movie. Probably one of the best scenes of all time, IMHO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJkzmS_WTQI&feature=related
I know I am stereotyping here. But of all the "stereotypcial elitest" thinking groups out there. Flyfishermen are by far the worst IMO. Not so much because of a high % of Fly guys who think that way,(I've been helped out by many caring guys) but more so that those who do feel "elitest" feel REALLY elitest. IF that makes any sense?
It makes NO sense. We really don't care how you fish or other people fish. We care about how we fish, "If that makes any sense". I'm fairly new at it, 3 years, but I can tell you I love it as much or more than I love bowhunting and I've done that for 35 years. It's totally addictive. I'm up to 5 fly rods and counting. LOL I always wanted to hunt Montana or Alaska. Now I have a 10 day trip to Alaska this summer for nothing but fly fishing for all 5 types of salmon, grayling and rainbows. Next summer it's Montana... fly fishing. LOL MGH PA, I love that movie. I loved it before I was a fly fishermen. And people complaining it brought people to the sport? Sounds like they're having a tough time with the competition.LOL As far as belonging to a fly fishing forum, I don't think I'd like people trying to over analyize the sport and all that. My brother is my fly fishing partner and mentor. He's been doing it for 40 years or so. His wife is off to Montana Friday for 6 weeks. WE're already planning our fly fishing days. LOL I fly fish for me and no one else. I release just about everything I catch so someone else will have a chance. If they want to kill it, well that's their thing. We keep the ones that appear injured beyond hope or are questionable. We rarely even touch them, just shake out the hook with forcepts or give 'em slack. It doesn't happen very often with a fly with a barbless hook that you injure one. Once in a while they get it deep and become food. LOL If I wanted to catch numbers of brookies I'd dig me some little red wigglers and take off with an ultra light spinning outfit. Does that make me an elietest? I don't think so. Consider me the guy who wants to use a recurve while you want to use a compound. Have fun. I fly fish for ME and my enjoyment.... not for some contest or chest thumping reason.
Well put David. I've been fly fishing for over 25yrs. My buddy Max got me started. He fishes exclusively for trout (I consider him somewhat elitist) Me? I fish for anything that swims, often with my fly rod, Lately smallmouth. BTW if you ever get a 20" river smallie on a fly you'll give up any elitist emotions right away, cuz you'll be in for a helluva fight!
Rybo, I have certainly seen that attitude from SOME of those on the forums I'm frequenting. But, I have to say, I see it MORE with bowhunters on the forums I visit (not here really, though I'm sure most of you know what forum I'm talking about). Most of my summers I'm off (teacher), so fishing has always been a fun thing for me, but I never really got REALLY into it like I did with bowhunting. Flyfishing, I can certainly see as my spring/summer "bowhunting." :D
Honestly folks, you haven't lived until you hook up with a 30 inch steelhead in the dead of winter on a 7 or 8 weight 10 foot fly rod. They are such beautiful creatures and fight so hard for survival. They win more than I do. My brother ties all of our flies. I tinker at it. He's been trying to tie 20 a night for our Alaska trip. We don't go until the end of July but I've already reorganized my fly boxes about 10 times. LOL I'm only taking 3 rods with me... a 5 weight for grayling, a 7-8 weight for jumbo Rainbows and a 10 weight for all the salmon. My brother and I are taking one 4 piece spinning outfit to share when we want a change on the rainbows. Macho rainbows where we're going. The only salmonoid not running while we're there is steelhead. I broke down and went to all 4 piece rods so I can travel with them, my flies, reels and waders as carry on. 10 of us going to a remote wilderness camp. Can't wait. This trip is the elk hunt I always wanted and I couldn't be happier. A few years ago my deceased wife and I went to Alaska on a yuppie tour and cruise for 2 weeks. I said I'd never go again without my bow and for no other reason than bowhunting. And here I am, fly rods in tow and acting like a boy on his first deer hunt.
MGH I would say you find more bowhunters(higher % of the population) with an elite attitude, but I've run into some fly guys (granted few) but thier attitudes were off the scale...maybe that tainted my perception. David...YOU may care how YOU and only YOU fish, but trust me, just as there are hunters who care how others hunt, there are CERTAINLY fishermen who care about how others fish. I too fly fish, its fun & I am learning a lot.
I agree with Ryan on this one, the elitist attitude of SOME fly-fisherman is ridiculous. I enjoy fly-fishing, but I also enjoy a spinning rod with 4# test and 2-1/2" stick baits. If I am going trout fishing, 90% of the time I am packing the spinning rod, I don't find it any less fun than fly fishing and it is much easier to use on alot of the streams I fish due to their small size and the brush surrounding the stream. I fished a local section of stream called the "Yellow Creek Trout Club", this is strictly catch and release waters and the membership costs between $1,000-$1,500 a year. My fathers business bought a membership for their workers and families to use and while their I had atleast a half dozen guys stop to talk to me about how much better fly fishing was and how much more difficult and pure.. yada yada yada. I had a blast their when I took my spinning rod and was reeling in 20"-24" rainbows and I had fun hooking up with a 25" brown on my fly rod. As far as the original topic goes, I like the movie and wouldn't entirely agree with the guys statements. Fly fisherman don't make up a big percentage of fisherman around here, my bigger problem (with trout fishing) is that their are less fish stocked every year (I believe we are getting less than half the fish stocked that we did around 5 years ago), and with an "opening day" instead of a year round season, the pressure on the streams the first few weeks is absolutely crazy, not to mention a 5 fish per day limit, those fish don't last long. I enjoy fishing throughout the summer for trout and by July they are almost non-exsistant.
MGH_PA, Sounds like your really getting the bug. Be careful, there's no cure. davidmil, That sounds like a GREAT trip. I'm heading to Newfoundland in July for Atlantic Salmon (the fish of 10,000 casts). Can't wait, I need to get tying.
The wife has moved our stuff to Kansas so the house is mostly empty, I have 1 guide trip to do on the 21st and I am done (just working on the house getting ready to sell). If any of you get the bug come on up and fish with me a while, I will be here till just after the 4th of July. You will need an air mattress to sleep on and a float tube, personal pontoon boat, or you can just wade, plenty of good places for that. The spinner falls are just getting good and it's just gonna get better till after the 4th of July. PM me and I will give you my phone #. John