|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Published in Fort Worth Fly Line, March 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||
| What is a Flyfisherman? | |||||||||||||||||||
| by Al Crise RRD | |||||||||||||||||||
| I was asked, like many of us that use a nine foot light weight fly rod, "Why do you fly fish?". | |||||||||||||||||||
| I give the standard answers like: the relaxation, the challenge, the art form, and maybe just a little snob appeal. I will be the one that has all the 'things" that I can carry on my vest, and many boxes of flies just to be sure that I have the right one. My rod case is more like a store display. This is the sport that will always have more goodies, I hope. | |||||||||||||||||||
| I would like to think that there will continue to be improvements in our "classic" equipment. I would like the rod manufacturers to continue to design and build rods out of high tech man made fibers that make casting such an effortless dream, that weigh less and cost as much as an endangered imported cane. I like the tradition of the sport. | |||||||||||||||||||
| I love the way the new fly lines float high, cast like a rocket, and repel the water. Read the manufacturer's outflow of how you will find no other line that will perform like theirs, with no memory and never tangles, or the co-a-fishen is the same as hot butter with balloons. In every color you can think of with names like sunset, sunrise, moonglow, lime and ivory. It can be cast into the teeth of a whole gale. Yes, just like the one that Gramps caught his big brown on, the silk imported fly line from England. I love the traditions of fly fishing. | |||||||||||||||||||
| The newest development has to be the bulletproof leader material that is the same diameter as 7x and will test at 18 pounds. If you don't mind gluing your knots to get them to hold. The taper is engineered to turn over a bass bug. The old cat gut is still the best if you can keep it damp, just like we did when Dad was a boy. | |||||||||||||||||||
| If you think that the modern world was not moved into the "art of fly tying" pick up a fly tying catalog and look at the antron, nylon, mylar, and flashabou, in a holographic display of colors, sizes and shapes that will match any hatch. There is even artificial lead. I know that I can fool any fish, some of the time. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Many think that we stand in ice cold water freezing our butts off. Little do they know that we have invested in a pair of hi tech neoprene waders that will not leak and keep us warm down to 20 degrees below. The liners that we have will "wick" the water away from our skin and keep our body dry and cool, or warm, as needed. The jacket is of a rip stop material that a 2/0 lazer hook can't penetrate. I will never be cold again, like when I fished the Pierre Marques in March with rubber/canvas leaky evaders. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sure the traditions are strong within the fly fishing school. We have to have something to build on and the writings of Dane Berber in 1246 are some of the oldest. This is one of the reasons that the sport is so enduring. We can improve without losing our classic values. I am glad I like the old ways and the fish do not seem to care what we use to fool them as long as we continue to enjoy the sport. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Think of the sport as the easy way to get out of the house and enjoy the out-of-doors with good friends, then be able to talk about it for two weeks or more. You always have a need for some do-dad that the kids can get for you. A special want list for those days that everyone buys you something. I can plan vacations to places that have great fishing and food without a guilt trip from Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary. (of course, if they live within casting distance of a blue ribbon river I'll love the kid's four wheeler and their dog can sleep wherever he wants. | |||||||||||||||||||
| The traditions are hard to forget when you start catching fish. If you aren't, just go back to the basics and remember the old ways and you will start finding new ways of finding fish. The old ways are still used by the "purest" and it is still pretty to watch the casting and fighting of a wild trout when done by a real fly fisherman.. | |||||||||||||||||||
| ++++++ | |||||||||||||||||||
| � | |||||||||||||||||||
| This page hosted by GEOCITIES � Get your own Free Home Page | |||||||||||||||||||
| � | |||||||||||||||||||
| � | |||||||||||||||||||
| � | |||||||||||||||||||
| � | |||||||||||||||||||
| � | |||||||||||||||||||