Remember Where You Came From!
It never fails to amaze me how one particular ideal comes into play in the day to day workings of our wonderful sport of fly fishing. The fact of the matter is that most of us fail to even recognize it , but it definitely does exist, and oftentimes so much so that we've accepted it as the rule rather than the exception. In fact, many companies have grown fat on its existence and names have been made famous in its use. The particular ideal I'm speaking of is snobbery, and whether you recognize it or not, it rears its ugly head every single time more than one fly fisherman shares the same space.
I've had the misfortune to see it first hand on far more occasions than I care to remember. I think it's important to remember that while not every fly fisherman may share the same ethic or ideal, we all practice the art for the same reasons. Over the years, and especially in recent times, cost has become one of the single largest influences on all aspects of what we do. BUT...a fly fisherman is not made by brand nor depth of wallet, and class is not something which can be purchased.
Snobbery has not place in fly fishing! It doesn't matter what brand of anything you are using, although many companies will tell you differently. It doesn't matter if you use bamboo or graphite, wet fly or dry, or even how large your fishing knowledge database may be ( or so you'd like to think! ). None of this really matters in the grand scheme of things on any waters we may cast.
The true ideal is fly fishing in itself! Our art was born of innocence and purity and with a reverence and esteem for the sacred waters we fish. At no point in its beginnings did snobbery exist, nor should it now.
I recently came across someone who was a "guide" on my home waters. He gave a presentation for a local fly fishing organization and when he had finished, I approached in an attempt of friendly conversation. Unfortunately, within the first few minutes, I was belittled to the point of my leaving. What he didn't know was that I had thirty years of experience on this water ( much of it guiding ) to his nine! This man never bothered to find out who I was and drew the conclusion that I knew nothing since I was nearly half his age.
I've heard far too many cane fishermen say the only true fly fishermen are those fishing cane rods. Hogwash! I know of one particular fly shop on my home waters that has been run into the ground by unimformed ever changing owners who thought they could buy a good reputation, fill their knowledge bank without putting in the time AND, once again belittling every poor customer walking through their door. This fly shop had a wonderful reputation for many decades, but after it was sold the new owners figured they could ride coat tails and make a go of it not understanding that reputation and integrity are two things that must be earned, and untimately, grown and managed over time. These are stories that should never have been told.
Aside from all of these ramblings, the bottom line is that snobbery has no place in fly fishing...anywhere! It doesn't matter what gear you use or how much it costs. It doesn't matter how you fish or what methods you may use. It doesn't matter how many fish you catch or how big or small they may be. And, it definitely doesn't matter how much you may or may not know, or how long you've been fishing. What IS important is the appreciation you have for the resource you've been given and the understanding that your time on the water is a very special gift. If everyone looked at fly fishing in this way, the rewards would be tenfold. There is no substitute for time spent on the water, and time not spent is lost forever.
Z. Pryor
