The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

Dries wrote:
you know what's ruining it in my opinion? A bunch of kids and jhonny-come-late that want to tell us "how it's done".



Hey Dries,
I was just thinking about this yesterday. About being called an elitist and what not because I don't like to fish with a bobber. I concluded pretty much what you just said in your post. It's not so much the fact that folks use bobbers these days that bothers me, it's the attitude they have. They've changed the rules to suit themselves and now they dictate those rules to people that have been here for years before their trendy, fad jumpin' yuppie ass came along. After "The Movie" came out they all rushed out and bought fly rods and jumped into their local stream. They were too lazy to take the time to learn the proper techniques so they took shortcuts and started using bobbers. And that's fine, if they want to use a bobber that's their business. But somehow I've since became an elitist because I use proper techniques and started fly fishing before they came along and changed the rules. Can you imagine if someone ran out into the middle of a baseball game and proclaimed that they want to play but they don't like the rules so they're going to change them and if you don't like it you're an elitist or a purest? Or if they bought a violin and picked at it for a few years and then crashed a concerto and told everyone that the noise they make is really the acceptable way to play a violin and people like Itzhak Perlman and other famous violinist are elitists because they didn't take the same short cuts? Or they decided that they were going to be a blues guitarist and after a few years decided that Stevie Ray Vaughan was an elitist because he didn't take the same shortcuts they did?

Arizona Bruce wrote:
Here's how the Yawn Rating System works:

One Yawn - You're pitiful. No wit is used. Poor attempt at nastiness. Inaccuracies.

Two Yawns - A bit of wit. Maybe a chuckle from me. Naaasty.

Three Yawns - Genuinely funny. The nastiness factor is peaking. Hate and venom is drooling from the corners of your mouth as you write.

Four Yawns - Satan has nothing on you.


Now you have your own rating system. Your so full of yourself it spilling out your ears. Your not only a wannabe steelheader, your a wanna be comedian too. Take a look at yourself, jokes on you.

I am secure enough to use my real name. read the post again you might see things differently.
Dusty Revel

when you try to determine what a "real" steelhead fisherman is you're creating two classes of steelhead fishermen the "real" and the "lesser" fishermen. this obviously implies one class is better than the other, and by that logic one class is more pure or elite.
My point was it is about respect for the fish and streams they inhabit, and to imply using one technique over another suggests elitism.

Well spoken Dusty!

no/msg

Dries wrote:
Why was my post "not intelligent"? Because I don't own or work for a fly-fishing relate business and try to make myself pass for some sort of self appointed fly-fishing celebrity? Or because I don't feel the need to post a "pat on the back" post to every single message here? My was a simple and honest question, you are the guys "steel here... metal there... headhunters...", for crying out loud do you even hear yourselves? You're using bobbers. Where is Uncle Jack when you need him! As a matter of fact... where is everyone?
But hey, wanna call a spade a spade: instead of hiding under posts that talk of how the environmental disaster is impacting "our sport", peace, love and freedom... you know what's ruining it in my opinion? A bunch of kids and jhonny-come-late that want to tell us "how it's done".

And by the way, I DO work in the business (as a matter of fact worked even in your store before you), I just don't promote it (quite poorly I might add) on this web site.

You're welcome.

You're right kids and indicators are adulterating the sport.

"A purist is one who desires that a particular item remain true to its essence and free from adulterating or diluting influences."

hmmm pretty straight forward, but i never said being a purist was a bad thing. I can respect tradition and people that value the traditions. IF only these people could treat the "inferior" the same way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purist

Shawn wrote:
Dries wrote:
you know what's ruining it in my opinion? A bunch of kids and jhonny-come-late that want to tell us "how it's done".



Hey Dries,
I was just thinking about this yesterday. About being called an elitist and what not because I don't like to fish with a bobber. I concluded pretty much what you just said in your post. It's not so much the fact that folks use bobbers these days that bothers me, it's the attitude they have. They've changed the rules to suit themselves and now they dictate those rules to people that have been here for years before their trendy, fad jumpin' yuppie ass came along. After "The Movie" came out they all rushed out and bought fly rods and jumped into their local stream. They were too lazy to take the time to learn the proper techniques so they took shortcuts and started using bobbers. And that's fine, if they want to use a bobber that's their business. But somehow I've since became an elitist because I use proper techniques and started fly fishing before they came along and changed the rules. Can you imagine if someone ran out into the middle of a baseball game and proclaimed that they want to play but they don't like the rules so they're going to change them and if you don't like it you're an elitist or a purest? Or if they bought a violin and picked at it for a few years and then crashed a concerto and told everyone that the noise they make is really the acceptable way to play a violin and people like Itzhak Perlman and other famous violinist are elitists because they didn't take the same short cuts? Or they decided that they were going to be a blues guitarist and after a few years decided that Stevie Ray Vaughan was an elitist because he didn't take the same shortcuts they did?


1. Nobody called you an elitist (that I have seen) because you don't like to use indicators
2. What supposed rules did I change? I have yet to see the holy text of fly fishing, and if it existed I probably wouldn't care to read it; it wouldn't change anything for me.
3. Using the techniques you use doesn't make you an elitist, but claiming they are proper...well that might.
4. Again what rules did we change? This fourth statement sure spawns a feeling of superiority

Dusty Revel

I imply nothing, you made all those connection in your mind. Since when the contrary of real is "lesser"?
And how "respectful for the fish and stream" is to drop hundreds of guided trips down the Trinity or trying to make a buck selling information, videos or pictures of already overfished streams?

I have no interest in a word war with you son, you keep talking and googling terms on wikipedia, I am going to bed 'cause I'm fishing tomorrow (steelhead in the afternoon, bass in the evening). Still.. remains the fact that you fish bobbers and call yourselves "headhunters", but don't worry... one day you'll see the irony of it all as well.

All right, good idea enough of the word war, lets think about the practicality of fishing with dries for steelhead. Yes, it is very possible to catch steelhead in the valley rivers (Sacramento, American, and lets throw in the trinity also) using dries, but as you move closer to the coast to many of the wild steelhead fisheries it gets less and less plausible. The streams I like to fish the most do not lend themselves to dry fly fishing as the visibility is often around one foot… sometimes less. Using a dry would be casting practice.

I hope you have a very pure day of fishing(guessing the American r as it is very possible to go find a pond and do some Bass fishing after skating some stims for steelies)and good luck.
I just don’t see the sin in using a bobber or saying headhunter... excuse my ignorance

Maybe it's what we feel as a segment of the fly fishing population that defines "real" steelheader...

A consuming LOVE of this species and a respect for their fighting abilities.

Our behavior, where we'd pass up the possibility of Bjornian numbers of rainbows or cutthroats to possibly hookup one, or on some streams a few, steelies in a day, no matter what the fly rod tactic. Let me stress this. How many non-steelheaders have shaken their heads in confusion when you've told them of days of steelheading without ONE grab?

An addiction to that grab, whether it's an arm-wrenching pull, the gentle tap of a swung fly in clear water or maybe even the immediate screaming run and sky-bound leap you get just after you set on a (I shudder to say this ) twitching or plunging bobicator.

A love of this species so deep, that floors are paced in anticipation of fishing "next season". A sparkle in the eye and all care-lines disappearing from our faces when we talk about our steelhead, especially when describing them to non-steelheaders.

A love so deep that long days, starting before dawn and ending when fatigue and darkness force us to trudge back to the car, are followed by the same ritual the next day.

A love so deep that we can be a bit irresponsible as we head to the rivers when we really should be addressing something else that needs attention in our lives.

There are more traits that real steelheaders have in common, but I'll just end this here. If this post has brought a knowing smile to your and total understanding to your face, then you're a real fly fishing steelheader.

"...and LETS THROW IN the trinity also..."

You ARE excused.

You all have a good day.