Interesting article...Covid, fly fishing, and the the outdoors in general

[Salmonchaser]

And who is proud of a 10 inch whitey?

It’s a grayling, but yea pretty small

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I like this analogy. This has basically been the FF industry since the 90s and honestly, probably since Dame Juliana/Isaac Waltons days



I thought of Deckers before I even finished the first sentence of the article.


This is the thing that drives me the craziest. I’ve done some guiding in the past and now row a personal boat with newbies a lot. I can absolutely boat more fish on a double or triple bobber nymph rig. But why miss out on all the other, more engaging and complex parts that actually teach you more than ‘chunk/mend once/watch bobber’

Combine high efficacy (look at the “balloon indicator” BS on the Green as an extreme example) with population explosion and proximity of water to said population, you get an untenable situation for both the fish and the anglers. The Platte/Green/Pan/Upper C/Madison are some of my favorite places, but it is starting to feel more like an amusement park ride than ‘fishing’, much less ‘connecting to nature’

But yes - the tone of the article is pretty whiney.

What is the advantage of 2 or 3 bobbers? One bobber is fairly standard here when heavy rains muddy the water and egg patterns drifting in a boat along the brush shoreline until the bobber pauses, is effective for rainbows, char, grayling.

 

[rwc101]

The only time I run into other people fly fishing is when I go to the Platte or similarly well-known areas that have been Instagramified. Most trout streams around here are empty with better fishing.

 

[Salmonchaser]

What is the advantage of 2 or 3 bobbers? One bobber is fairly standard here when heavy rains muddy the water and egg patterns drifting in a boat along the brush shoreline until the bobber pauses, is effective for rainbows, char, grayling.

I think it’s a typo. My take is he is running three nymphs below the bobber. Unless he’s fishing for char, those sobs will inhale a bobber.

 

[cedahm]

What is the advantage of 2 or 3 bobbers? One bobber is fairly standard here when heavy rains muddy the water and egg patterns drifting in a boat along the brush shoreline until the bobber pauses, is effective for rainbows, char, grayling.

I think it’s a typo. My take is he is running three nymphs below the bobber. Unless he’s fishing for char, those sobs will inhale a bobber.

@Salmonchaser is right - 2 or 3 nymphs below the thing. And yes, about every salmonid will eat the indicator occasionally. I had a big buck chum race across a tailout to inhale a big pink one our last AK trip that actually held onto the thing for a couple jumps.

Although - there are some folks that still run multiple indicators of the stick-on variety.

The only time I run into other people fly fishing is when I got o the Platte or similarly well-known areas that have been Instagramified. Most trout streams around here are empty with better fishing.

Yep - but the curiosity and gumption to seek those places out doesn't usually get ingrained until you've caught some fish in the 'easy access' spots, which are becoming crowd-surfing. And let's be honest - most of us aren't throwing out directions to your kinds of spots

The S. Platte has been my 'home water' since I moved here 25 years ago, although I really only fish it in certain scenarios anymore, and I would have no issue with restrictions or seasonal closures. For starters - block off half the parking spots from Gill trail down to Swayback.

 

[rwc101]

Yep - but the curiosity and gumption to seek those places out doesn't usually get ingrained until you've caught some fish in the 'easy access' spots, which are becoming crowd-surfing. And let's be honest - most of us aren't throwing out directions to your kinds of spots

Yep. No issues here with seasonal closures on water that get pounded. People who can't be bothered to find blue lines on map and walk a bit to check them out will be disappointed, but not me. It ain't rocket science.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

It's not a bobber, it's a "strike indicator".

That's right. I prefer to use the red and white strike indicators above my night crawlers.

 

[MTLabrador]

Sorry, but that ship sailed 3 decades ago, and I've fished with everything from a $6 Shakespeare to a $1000 Sage, and the juice is no longer worth the squeeze; tons of rude guides jockeying for position on each run to give their john the best chance. So, yeah, as with most things, we destroy what we love. Can't even imagine the shame of being a fishing guide.

The juice is worth the squeeze if you know where to squeeze it...

 

[shrapnel]

Post this in a flyshop and look for raised eyebrows...

 

[jt13]

If looks could kill the repulsive gaze my wife got from a female fly fishing guide would've done her in.

My wife caught and kept a booner rainbow trout on the Bighorn River in WY from a public fishing access with a boat ramp guides were using for float trips. She was using a spinning rod and lure we bought at the gas station that morning. The guide looked on in disgust as she proudly carried her 20"+ fish by the gill plate back to our truck where we cleaned it on the tailgate. We cooked her trout with a fresh pronghorn tenderloin for dinner that night as a high plains surf and turf with no regrets.

 

[TOGIE]

if i don't have to put a tent and sleeping bag on my back to reach it, i'm probably not gonna bother fishing it

in any event my hardcore fly fishing friends have soured me on the sport more than the crowds have

 

[rwc101]

Just go fishing. If you can twist the panties on some snot-nosed guide or uppity fly fisherman all the better.

 

[shrapnel]

Just go fishing. If you can twist the panties on some snot-nosed guide or uppity fly fisherman all the better.

This is only 50 feet from the road in Yellowstone Park. All the avid guys will try to avoid crowds and hike way back, the no good guys fish by the road and don't know how to fish. I usually catch a dozen or so while the avid anglers are still hiking...

 

[JLS]

Just go fishing.

This. Who GAF where you do it, how you do it, whether you’re 10 feet or 10 miles from the road, or what pose you use for your Instafamous photos?

Go fish.

 

[44hunter45]

View attachment 172735

@cedahm and @LuketheDog

speaking of deckers...

I'm gonna have to paint my nails before I go out next time.

 

[44hunter45]

This is true. But nobody takes the snob trophy like a purist fly fisherman with a six figure plus bank account.

Not to tear the scab off old wounds....
But you ain't nuthin' until you can helicopter into the Bob.

 

[Bambistew]

Fly Fishermen are the most vain people on the planet. I'd rather talk to someone about crossfit than fly fishing, and thats coming from a guy that owns a dozen fly rods.

 

[noharleyyet]

 

[shrapnel]

This will really get them going...

 

[Salmonchaser]

I had a client once who spent the entire ride out from the Airport to quiz me on what tippets he should be running to fish for Silvers. I told him not to worry I would set him up. He persisted. I told him I was going to tie a 10 foot piece of brown maxima 12 pound on the end of his fly line with a square Knot. I thought he would have a seizure. got him checked in and up the river. His buddies had fished with me before. I got them rigged with a 10 foot floro carbon leader, straight 12lb. We were throwing 8 inch heavy streamers and stripping fast In a big bolder patch. My prima Dona dicked around for two or three hours with his tapered leaders. Failed to notice his buddies had their limits and were well into catch and release. He landed two fish, lost 10 flies as I recall. Guy dicked around all week showing me how good he was, never had a client catch so few fish compared to the rest of his group.
Had a group of 12 guys from Argentina two years ago. Great bunch of guys, also there for silvers and to fly out for trout. The whole week was comprised of the craziest weather we had all summer. Those boys could throw in the wind, and accurate. God they were good. Not a prima Dona in the bunch. One day the guys I had couldn’t hang onto a fish. They had been designated as the fish killers for dinner. Finally the group leader waded over to my boat in disgust. He rummaged around for a minute pulled out one of my spinning rods, came over and asked for a little instruction, Three casts later he landed a big fat silver. Few minutes later he had another. Then another. Made me and the other guys promise not to tell. Didn’t say a word, just showed pics.
Point being there are some snooty fly guys and snooty guides out there but there are an awful lot that will fly halfway around the world to fish and have a good time, who when they are hungry, will use the best method available.
My philosophy is just ignore the snooty ones, if they are paying me then I do every thing I can to humble them Just a little by sharing the photo evidence of dyed in the wool catch and release guys who decided to keep just a couple.