The ultimate snob ?

[Norm M]

I was fishing and doing well enough with a rattlebait on a current seam. there was another guy further down not catching anything. He was using dry flies. I suggested that he pass by and fish the next seam with a streamer or something he could strip aggressively as the fish were responding to my lure. he told me he would rather fish like a gentleman and remain fishless than to use crude tactics and lures like I was. He told me that a gentleman only uses feathers to catch fish.

 

I responded that I knew many fine gentlemen who fly fish and use other materials such as animal fur, flashabou and living rubber in their creations. He responded that such materials were an anathema to the sport and he would not deign designate those who would employ such as fly fishermen.

 

I no longer had any to response as I couldn't fathom how one material could be more gentlemanly than another, so I left to find another spot. I still have not come to grips with how someone could rationalize such a thing in his mind.

 

 

[tjtroester]

really!? if fishing drys makes him happy, so what? he wasn't crowding anybody. maybe it isn't all to do with catching and comparing the size of his fish to the other guys fish. not clear here who is doing the rationalizing. timothy

[Rob G]

Norm,

I wish everyone was like that guy ! Then I could clean up with my other flies and baits. To each his own.

[Eric]

He he. Great story.

 

Would have been sweet to tie on the beer can lure and proceed to chat with him..

 

"What are you using?"

 

"Bud can..."

[jude]

Sounds like the perfect fly fisherman cliche. I have to repeat what Timothy said: really?!?

[John Gillio]

He he. Great story.

 

Would have been sweet to tie on the beer can lure and proceed to chat with him..

 

"What are you using?"

 

"Bud can..."

Maybe even a beer can bobber and a worm.

[Jim J]

Wrong TJ

 

 

"He told me that a gentleman only uses feathers to catch fish."

 

This comment makes him the snobby tool he is. He is saying "if you don't fish my way you're not a _______"

 

No one cares if he only wants to fish with whatever or catch whatever.

 

His comment says "whoever isn't fishing my way isn't a gentleman"

 

If that's not a snobby tool? I think the defense mechanism of some fly fishermen gets going really fast.

 

No one gives a crap except the guys who think their way is always the best.

 

Give it up already.

 

Norm was letting him go by to the next spot and fish and he could have just said thanks and fished how he wanted to, but instead he's got to give Norm a little lecture on the gentlemanly way to fish.

 

tool.

[tjtroester]

good lord! now that i have my familiar (Wrong TJ) badge on, i feel better. i know my place . i just hate anyone to think i would agree with someone else to be (Right TJ).

[Norm M]

I tried to do the right thing and offered some advice which he was free to take or ignore. No skin off me either way. I don't care how any one fishes as long as it's legal. I didn't offer up the air of my method is superior to all others, he did that.

 

as I said I know many gentleman and a few not so gentlemanly that fly fish. they use a wide assortment of materials to craft their flies and don't feel compelled to pass judgement on the materials others may use. i have fished long enough and with a wide enough variety of fishermen to know there is no stereotypical fly, spin, cast. spincast of canepoling guy.

 

That he thought my methods crude amused me. that he thought a certain type of material more gentlemanly than any others puzzled me. If only fishing drys is what he enjoys, dig, that's his movie. Laying a bad rap on others movie is just courting bad karma. i was just hoping some one more in tune with the whole fly fishing scene could enlighten me on the feathers good, animal fur bad thing is a more prevalent attitude than I ever would have suspected within the community that's all.

[John Gillio]

I believe in some people's minds there is a hierarchy in the world of fishing that goes something like this (with many divisions within each group):

1. Those who fish with split cane flyrods and feathered dry flies only (in which case the fellow on the river with you would be a lowly peasant if he were not toting a Thomas and Thomas).

2. The flyfisherman.

3. The bass fisherman in the fiberglass bass boat.

4. The baitfisher in his john boat.

5. The spin or baitcaster walking the shoreline.

6. The bait fisherman on the shoreline relaxing on his fishing chair with a beer in hand (I suppose a microbrew of some sort would give you more status than a Schlitz).

7. The trot liner.

8. The jug fisherman.

9. The limbliner.

10. The yo-heaver.

11. The hogger, noodler, or whatever you call it when you stick your hand under a rock and grab the fish (Jude, help me with this one).

I personally have no prejudice here as I have been seen doing most of the above. Unfortunately I have never fished with a Thomas and Thomas and I am too chicken to stick my hand under a rock.

[Jim J]

Schlitz. Now that's funny.

[Rob G]

Johnny G, love your list, though I might rate the jug fishermen above the trot liners since they're using "strike indicators" ha

 

Norm,

I really don't know the reasoning between feathers and fur. I do know some that prefer natural materials vs. synthetics simply because of the traditionalism and aesthetics.

[Norm M]

Ok . so it may be a thing about tradition. he had a cane fly rod, no idea if it was a Thomas & Thomas. I can see the natural vs. synthetic from that view point. I still don't completely get the feathers vs. fur as I thought fur was part of the long standing tradition of creating flies. To me that would be like saying balsa is superior to cedar for hard baits. Both have their place and one may outshine the other in certain situations but using one does not make it inherently more gentlemanly than the other

 

If I ever acquire a Thomas & Thomas, say at a garage sale, could I bring it to a cast and compare ?.

[John Gillio]

Ok . so it may be a thing about tradition. he had a cane fly rod, no idea if it was a Thomas & Thomas. I can see the natural vs. synthetic from that view point. I still don't completely get the feathers vs. fur as I thought fur was part of the long standing tradition of creating flies. To me that would be like saying balsa is superior to cedar for hard baits. Both have their place and one may outshine the other in certain situations but using one does not make it inherently more gentlemanly than the other

 

If I ever acquire a Thomas & Thomas, say at a garage sale, could I bring it to a cast and compare ?.

Only if your practice fly is made of feathers .

[mikea]

What kills me is the snobbery inside an already niche sport such as fly fishing. Its now not enough that you fly fish, your not really fly fishing unless your spey casting and swinging, or using bamboo and drys only. GET OVER IT!! Its fishing sheeesh.

[Terry Dodge]

All I know is a "gentleman" would never toss a Chug Bug. End of story.

[Steve S.]

All I know is a "gentleman" would never toss a Chug Bug. End of story.

Ha ha I love that one

[Tom L]

I can see the natural vs. synthetic from that view point. I still don't completely get the feathers vs. fur as I thought fur was part of the long standing tradition of creating flies. To me that would be like saying balsa is superior to cedar for hard baits. Both have their place and one may outshine the other in certain situations but using one does not make it inherently more gentlemanly than the other

 

The feather vs. fur arguments dated back since G.E.M. Skues time when he published "Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream" in 1910. Skues pioneered fishing wet flies and nymphs subsurface which were deemed unacceptable at the time. The only acceptable way to fish was "dry fly - upstream" only at the time. A typical dry fly was tied with feathers and a nymph was tied with furs. Obviously, there are still quite a lot of people following that "dry fly or died".

 

I respect people's choice of fishing "dry fly only" or any other fishing techniques. But to look down and call other people's fishing technique crude!!!!

[tgoodmanii]

Been following this thread for a couple days. I'm not sure what is trying to be communicated by this anecdote or if it is a factual account. But what I can't figure out is why such an elitist fly fisherman was on an Illinois stream tossing dries for warm water fish. Something is not adding up.

[John Gillio]

Been following this thread for a couple days. I'm not sure what is trying to be communicated by this anecdote or if it is a factual account. But what I can't figure out is why such an elitist fly fisherman was on an Illinois stream tossing dries for warm water fish. Something is not adding up.

Nice point. He obviously isn't all he thinks he is. I would guess a native brook trout never set fin in the 3K.

[jude]

Been following this thread for a couple days. I'm not sure what is trying to be communicated by this anecdote or if it is a factual account. But what I can't figure out is why such an elitist fly fisherman was on an Illinois stream tossing dries for warm water fish. Something is not adding up.

 

Hold your cards. We have a bingo!

[Eric]

Would have been awesome if Joe Dry Fly tied into a bowfin or big K3 gar. He might have to slime his high-end gear...

[Norm M]

I have no idea why he was there but he was. He never knocked fishing for smallmouth, he only stated that a gentleman only fishes with feathers. Maybe he has champagne tastes and a beer budget.

 

As to what was being communicated , it was my puzzlement at how one material used in a lure could be more gentlemanly than another material.

 

If any one thinks it is a shot at fly fisherman they are mistaken, Did I not state I knew many gentlemen that fly fish. He was the one that denigrated them for using materials he considered an anathema to the sport.

 

All I sought was enlightenment about his seemingly incomprehensible statement to me. Relax, I don't care how you fish, don't think that any particular method is superior to others, do it legally and enjoy.