You should maybe pass this along to Dennis Dickson. He's a fly fishing guide and former fish biologist. I think he graduated from SOF and would probably be interested in hearing about it. His site is at http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com.

Sounds like you got jumped by a bunch of self-righteous academics who think their opinion is the only one that really matters. Sounds typical of a lot of academia "discussions". Anyone who espouses a view outside of the academy is labeled as uneducated. Sorry it turned out that way. If Dennis is any indication, not all the guys in green shirts are that way.