are flyfishermen elitests?

I was just informed on another site that they are, but i was wondering what you thought.

elitism- 2. A sense of being part of a superior or privileged group.

First of all, for the record, I started out gear fishing and out of that grew a foundness for fly fishing. I still occasionally enjoy gear fishing for winter hatchery steelhead and sometimes drown a herring for salmon. Fly fishing has just come as a more enjoyable preference for me and I dig the challenge.

Now to get to your question- No I don't believe that fly fisherman are elitist, I think you can find elitism in every activity that can rub someone the wrong way and develop a prejudice.

Being able to view the issue from both sides I guess I have an opinion on the issue that in general fly fisherman seem to be a bit more proactive and conservation minded when it comes to looking out for the resource. And willing to step up to the plate more often when action needs to be taken especially when it comes to the wild fish. It seems to me they take the approach that if I look out for the wild fish it will increase opportunity in the future rather than just a concern for my opportunity.

Maybe that bothers some and think it is elitism? In recent followings of some the threads, whenever a conservation issue that some doesn't like comes up the finger gets pointed at flyfishermen, which is too bad. Why is that?

Now don't get me wrong I know many gear anglers and there are many visitors to this BB who look at it the same way and very conservation minded, but maybe not just the majority.

This has been covered before on many sites. If you think you're better then someone else because you practice a certain method of fishing, you're an elitist. I know a ton of baitguys, and a ton of flyguys. BUT, most of the flyguys I know are pre"the movie" flyfisherman. Guess what? Most are very down to earth. I don't think the elitist label is for the "conservation" minded. It's from the Simms sporting, bandana wearing, wide brimmed hat, fly boxes coming out their ears, rods and reels that cost more them most of our cars do. Usually, most of these guys CAN'T fish a run (but can throw a fly rod usually) and gripe when you come in and catch fish near them. Usually you're a "snagger" to them (I've actually been called this by a couple guys fitting these descriptions). Being an elitist is an attitude, not what your background is. If you are conservation minded, very rarely are you elitist. But, you are an elitist if you gripe, whine, and cuss out a guy who's keeping a native fish (steelhead or salmon where legal to do so) when they should try to be polite and educate. If it's legal, it's legal. You'll get nowhere attacking someone who's doing something that by state standards is legal.

So, depends on your attitude towards things. If you feel flyfishing is the creme dela creme of fishing, the highest art form, then you could be described as one. For all fishing has it's give and takes. I know fly guys who can't pull plugs or keep a boat in the zone to boondog. I know fly guys who can't throw a baitcaster without backlashing everycast. They make their judgements without really knowing all there is to know about fishing. Now, I know gear guys who are same way. Only toss jigs, spoons, whatever. And claim it's the best of the best to fish. Now, that's same thing. If you say spoons are the only way to fish, and you're not fishing unless you're tossing hardware, then he's an elitist as well.

Get it? LOL. But, it's your attitude. As I said, most guys who are elitist usually don't catch that many fish in first place. No matter what they say. Like guys I fished next to above, I was running a sinktip, with a non weighted fly. They were running damp flies (subsurface/near dry) on floating lines. They actually said this to me "A fly fisherman only uses a floating line". Well, not a successful winter steelheader. Most use dredging lines, or floating lines during dry winter conditions that are clear. Well, all my fish were caught legally, in the mouth. None were snagged. But, I still got a ration of you know what. I finally got my 2 hatcheries and left (which I got reemed over keeping HATCHERY fish!!!). Have to tell you this too, isn't first time this has happened, and by different gentlemen/women. So, it's your persona. The only reason you see more fly guys being conservation minded is the overall makeup of people fishing. I bet a good majority out there are majority gear guys. Well, the percentage is probably more, since flyfishing's big jump came as conservation started to come around with fishing. You have many generations of gear guys that grew up bonking fish, so hard to change what you grew up knowing. I know I had a hard time changing, I grew up bonking nates, was not uncommon to do back in the 70's and 80's. So, I'd say since you've seen more of a upswing in flyfishing then in gear fishing, that may be why you see the higher percentage of conservation types in that group.

yeah.. I think flyfishermen are a higher life form than mouth breathin' bait fishermen!

Am I still an elitist if I use mostly wets and nymphs and "mooch" woolly buggers behind my pram?

Don't do dry flies all that much!

I would like to know why every time someone says he is a fly fisher they(others) seem to think he is an elitests. I'm not that way and I know many others are not that way. Heck I can't afford all that expensive stuff and if I could I wouldn't. I seem to like what I have and for the time being it works good enough for me.

I don't think fly fisherman are elitists, my Curado can cast farther then any fly reel. :p

The guys I like to flyfish with are upstanding citizens (you know the kind who like to swear a lot, drink skunky cheep beer, and buy scratch tickets before every outing for good luck). Any little ***** with his $600 spey rod telling me about catch and release and refusing to help a brother out when asked about hatch/fly pattern should go fish some pay to play lake and leave my water alone. I know plenty of those jokers...and you wonder why a lot of good fisherman get a bad rap.

But let's face it, if you are a die-hard flyfisherman telling everyone that bait fisherman are jerks for "powerbaiting" just because you are bitter that your expensive ass setup isn't catching fish, then you fall into the eliteist category. Don't hate on the powerbaiters, you know you all started out with the same setup...or a worm and a bobber - what's the difference? Everyone should chill out...I see powerbaiters clean out my favorite lake every day and I bet you anything that I can still go out there in my float tube and catch fish all through the summer.

Just my opinion.

Question: is one an elitist if one is superior to those bait-using low-brow, low rent, knuckle dragging mouth breathers (and, therefore, is able to spell elitist)?

Seriously, I fly fish for trout, but will spin fish for steelhead, bass, pike. The only time I've been accused of being an elitist is when I request more catch and release water...doesn't even have to be flyfishing only, just artificial with single barbless hook. But then that is another topic.

But sometimes the fish are a lot closer than the other side of the bank :p

Let's not get into a p**** match on here over the various styles of fishing.

I meant my comments in jest and was just trying to get a rise out of Dave.

We had a heated discussion last year on this same subject on the WA Lakes board. Not one to get in to.

I think an elitist would be one who goes to eastern Canada and fishes for Atlantic Salmon. Probably the same guy would want to use those pretty salmon flies too....

Looking... Looking.. OH NO your offer was refused. Better try a different method and try again

Double Haul

Good one

However I will not mention your comment to my fly fishing buddy.

Actually I have wanted to dive into the world of fly-fishing but I still am not proficient enough in other techniques yet to take on a new one.

LOL that was a good one. You know what I always thought was funny? I did some fishing for atlantics in Canada and in the UK. The Canadian fish took large 1/0-4/0 flies. The UK fish took smaller size 6 flies. Weird. Worst thing, I caught the bigger fish in the UK on smaller flies. LOL. Interesting.

Elitists...yuck! Those people who take themselves too seriously are the elitists.

It is interesting though to observe the various groups of fisherman, the ones with boats, the ones without, the ones with gear, the ones with flies. What happens is that people forget to respect each other and then it turns bad. Just remember to treat everybody with respect and remember that there is enough water for everybody. Every person has as much right to the water as the next!

Peace

Twig

You got the right idea

Lead thrower, I started and fished the gear rod for steelhead along time. But I tell you this, to me, all else failed in comparision once you start hooking steelhead on the fly it is almost like catching your first steelhead over and over again. I wish you luck on your journey, you have much to llok forward to.