Friday's Rant: Extreme Fly Fishing

If you suck at catching fish, stand up and declare that the purpose of the activity has changed, and now it’s simply about 'looking like a fly fisherman'. Nothing more.

As ridiculous as that statement seems, it’s becoming a fast-track reality within the industry. You see, once upon a time fishing proficiency was a certain matter of benchmark achievement measured in chronological spaces – basically on day one you sucked, but over the course of time you fished your ass off an now on day 365 you don’t suck quite as much.

Regardless of improvement, whether by leaps and bounds or by a gnat’s ass, something of value developed in those 365 days. Experience! Trial and error, depression, passion, rage, jubilation, and finally reward. What is the reward? Experience.

Unfortunately, in today’s ‘gotta-have-it-NOW’ society, it seems there’s a recurring lie belief (perpetuated by marketers) that experience can be traded and/or substituted out for expensive tangibles. Apparently $700 rods with random brand identifiers – especially those including letters towards the end of the alphabet (i.e. x, l, t, s, p) – and titanium infused, aluminum alloy paper-thin reels have replaced the need to get your ass out on the water and figure things out. I guess I didn’t get that memo.

In any event, trite brand slogans, over-priced gear and industry jargon wont get you very far when it comes to actually learning how to fish. Nothing, and I do mean NO THING, will ever stand in the place of experience. Whittle on that part first, and then focus on fine tuning with precision tools.

There seem to be a lot of ‘conversations’ and ‘stories’ circulating about the new religion of fly fishing – the life and times of the ‘trout bum’, the ‘lifestyle’, and ‘extreme’ fly fishing (btw there’s nothing extreme about fly fishing). Apparently, common (marketing) knowledge tells us we need all this expensive shit to be a part of the dude revolution. Here’s the reality – you don’t.

In fact, if marketers actually did any sort of research or segmentation work, they’d figure out that mangy 20-something trout bums aren’t exactly the demographic with the disposable income. After all, that IS what pays for $700 waders and flimsy reels.

Do these people put any real thought into what it takes to earn $700 these days? For a select few it may be a couple of hours at the office with a client, but for the rest of us it's a good amount of cash.

I know, I know, it’s nostalgia right? We’re all striving to achieve 'bum' status? Is that the latest rabbit hole we’re all stuffing our money down?

Don’t get me wrong. It's absolutely necessary to lay down a little coin on quality gear from time to time. I've got a broken-in pair of Simms Guide waders that have more patches than Raggedy Andy suspenders, but I'll be wearing those until they turn into chaps. I’m just making the point that fly fishing isn’t about ‘looking the part’. It’s about putting in the time and paying your dues…on the water.

The truth of the matter is, all of these ‘extreme’ concepts and ideas are outward projections propagated by marketers concerned about gaining market share in an industry that seems to have lost its way.

Fly fishing is a personal experience. Outward projections have no influence on your personal journey in life – not in fly fishing or any other regard. Being a poser means standing on the sidelines. You never actually get involved in the game. Is that the real reason you first picked up a fly rod? I didn’t think so.