The Unfriendly Sport of Fly Fishing?

A recent post over at The Trout Underground has got me thinking. I know, I know, go run and hide.

The post posed some questions about fly fishermen, the industry, and their feelings about newbies in the sport, and has prompted quite a bit of attention.

I had an idea, which lead to a comment, which lead to more thinking, and here I am.

The Questions posed in the TU article were:
1) Is fly fishing too expensive to recruit newbies?
2) Is the industry newbie-unfriendly?
3) Are fly fishermen newbie unfriendly?
4) Is the sport’s focus on high-end gear and exotic places throttling the sport?
5) Recruitment during a recession is never easy (even as millions suddenly find themselves with spare time), but what will get newbies into the sport?
6) Do we want newbies in the sport? (This last for you cranky readers.)

The questions that got me thinking were 2, 3 and 6. First I thought about my possible answers to these questions. Then I thought about the sport in general, and the stereotypes about how fly fishermen generally are snobbish and self aggrandizing.

While I was pondering these feeling of the sport, I realized that the questions alone are almost answer themselves when you think about the reason anyone would even think to ask in the first place.

All Stereotypes, in my opinion, all have a little truth hidden somewhere in them.

So where is it hidden in the “good” people who fly fish? Is it even that hidden? It is there at all? Are the few assholes you meet while fly fishing the cause for most of it? No, because there are assholes everywhere, in all sports, but it seems that of all angling, fly fishing has the worst reputation for being a sport of the pompous.

Is this an old stereotype from the tweed days? I don’t know, but I can still feel it. Maybe I am one of them…. One of the self-important types, I mean, I do write a blog, which is a trait of the “Show Off” fly fisherman, from my Do You Know These People series. (There is only one so far, but I am currently working on a part 2) Crap, I did it again, plugging myself. Oh shit, it’s getting worse. Am I part of the problem?

Am I reading too much into this? Over analyzing it all? Does it even matter? Is there a secret army of anti-newbie fly fishermen lurking in the shadows, pulling the strings, turning the screws? Are we them, and they us? All of us lying to ourselves about being good nice people, when in reality we are just greedy, competitive animals that have developed a conscience and don’t speak what we really feel for fear of being found out. Everyone is a hater of something. Us and them. No matter what you say.

My friend of mine who does not fly fish, in mocking jest at the sport said while pretending to cast, “Check this out you pussies. Have you ever seen a more graceful, yet utilitarian cast such as this? The brightly colored line even helps you appreciate it from a greater distance.”

Is this how he truly feels? Or just a joke brought on by our recent conversation about stereotypes? Am I rambling? Will anyone really read all the way down to the end of this post?

I guess, in conclusion I am saying that it is the way it is, and we are who we are, and most likely we are not as good, or as important, or as smart as we think. But we do fly fish, so at least we got that part right.

-Alex who says he doesn’t care what you think, but secretly does.