That, right there, is a contender.

sorry, but as much as i love fly fishing (and it's almost all i do), i think it has one of the most self-righteous, snobby group of participants in all of angling. fishing is fishing, man. why even make the comparison? to feed your ego? i'm secure with what i do, no need to position myself 'higher' than anyone else. flailing around inefficiently with thousands of dollars in gear just to catch a fish and throw it back.

oops, i guess i didn't win.

well i think that we get enough recognition, if we got anymore wouldnt that rewin the sport, the streams would be crouded and the gear would get more expensive becaus eof the damand, and in 13 and im having a hard time geting what i need with birthday money!

There are two types of fishing: Active and Passive. Bait fishing is Passive, while Flyfishing is Active. To baitfish requires no more than that one bait the hook, throw it out and wait. There is almost no skill required to baitfish. Where there is no skill, there can be no perfection of skill, and where this is not, there can be no perfection to the point of mastery or artistry. To flyfish is by far the more artful and polished action: one must know how to get the fly "out there," and the techniques and timing so as to keep from entangling the line and/or snagging oneself; one must be able to "read water" to know where fish will be, how current will act upon a fly and how then to cast for the best presentation; one must know which fly to use under what circumstances. Once these things are mastered, it can be fairly said that one is a master fisherman--an artist--because he has come nearest to perfection: thinking like the current carrying a drifting insect, thinking like a trout in it and keeping his line in proper order and time to make those thoughts converge in reality upon the right place at the right time. To me, flyfishing means a chance to escape the complexities and burdens of this world, to have some time to reinvigorate my spirit and to get some quality quiet time to myself. To me, a half-day on a troutstream is more relaxing and revitalizing than two weeks on a luxury cruise. As a friend of mine put it, "The act of flyfishing is a transcendence of the mundane and slavish world we have come to know as reality."

Yes, we purists are a snobby, stuck-up group. But judging from the results of a day baitfishing at the town pond compared to a day on a pristine troutstream in the backwoods, we have every right to be.

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters."
~Norman Maclean

Fly fishing is no better than any other type of fishing when it comes down to the goal of fishing in general. It is still some a-hole taking a fish out of a body of water under false pretenses.

The main difference is that any retard can throw a lure a mile and reel it back in, but it takes a certain level of practice, discipline and patience to cast a fly with any level of dignity and grace.

Add that to the amount that one needs to know to feel proficient at fly fishing and its no wonder the sport produces so many condescending, stuck-up boobs.

It is a great thing though, that fly fishing. I love it.

Well to be honest, Fly fishing is more of a challenge than throwing some corn or power bait ( Yea I'm raggin on joey on this one.) you have to find what there eating, what size, what color, and most of all, how the hell to cast and keep that darn size 2 cone head bugger out of the back of you're head ect.

Sure sometimes while casting a lure I just throw it out randomly, I don't have a boat, a fishfinder, etc. I learn the layout by what I can see and what I can "feel" with my lure. So sometimes it looks like I'm "flogging" the water, but when I know what's there then the precision starts. I have no doubt it takes skill and precision to cast a fly and place where you want it, drift it, set the hook, land the fish, but I would argue that casting a lure to a particular spot, just between those branches over there, without getting a backlash and working the lure back in the right way to catch the bass that's most likely hiding there takes a considerable amount of skill too. Nothing against bait fisherman here (I've certainly been guilty of looking down my nose at them before), but we all like to feel good about ourselves by glorifying our particular method or style. It's who we are as people, we have pride and like to think that we're better or at least as good as most of the people around us. Tell me this, when you want to introduce a kid to fishing, are you really going to try and start them on a fly!? Or are you going to take them down to the water and drown a few worms so they can catch some fish? Maybe it is "the highest angling art form" but art is in the eye of the beholder and I'd much rather see a kid excited about catching a fish than some conceited ass telling me my type of fishing isn't good enough.

Sorry for the snarky response, but flyfishing's nasty little dark side is that we still have people who think it is the highest angling art form. Fishing is fishing. I prefer to do it with a fly rod, some other guy prefers to do it with a spinning rod. We're one and the same. Let protecting the resource justify our existence, not our egos.

Flyfishing for trout, far from others, is escape. No one else around to impress or criticize. One's skill against the fish, its environment, and whatever else might be trolling the water and shores. Senses are heightened. Focus is absolute. Read the water, the skies, and the wind; observe the insects and active hatches; stalk the fish; present the fly; mend the line; set the hook; and play the fish in; while stealthily treading a slimy stream bottom where one could slip and be wisked under a sweeper or into a deep hole; all while mindful of those footfalls or movements along the shores. All the world's stresses just go out of mind and out of body - finally wade out of the stream tired but mentally refreshed.

An artist doesn't build a masterpiece overnight. Art is a lifelong pursuit that is a personal journey. An artist strives to learn and grow from his mistakes and improve his craft through hours of practice. A spontaneous brushstroke or a single line placed in just the right spot might turn out to be an artist's greatest work. In the end, it's his collective experiences that bring the artist closer to perfection and make the journey fun. Fly fishing, like art, is a craft that is ever changing, ever evolving, and ever growing. For the beginner the challenge may be a simple knot or to land a dozen clean casts before the eminent tangle. As the angler advances her craft, it may be the number of fish caught or, later, the size of the fish caught. Everyday there's a new scenario to tackle: match the hatch, rig the rod, read the current, find where the fish are feeding, and make the perfect drift. I am never bored fly fishing. Just when I think I've got it all figured out, nature throws a curve ball my way, just to humble me and remind me I still have a lifetime of learning ahead. Fly fishing is a physical, mental, and spiritual journey. When everything flows just right, the composition is like the most beautiful painting I've ever seen.

BTW, I've always wanted to float the Gunnison Gorge.

does any body here realize how ga*y they are reveling in this pathetic post, trying to win some ridiculous online popularity contest, self-aggrandizing, self-important bull scheist. YOU FLY FISH, SO f'n WHAT!!

I think back to the days of tweed, tobacco pipes, hand-snelled hooks and creels packed with fish. In the early days of the sport, the pursuit was the same as any angling - bring home something for the dinner plate, and enjoy yourself as you do it. Since then, and since 'the movie,' things have changed. Many folks do it for the pursuit, many for the artistic side. Somehow, since we've stopped keeping the fish, the attitude has gone up, but the art has not followed. Sure, there's inlaid reel seats, full dress salmon flies and nickel reels, but has the technique and enjoyment followed? I think not. So if fly-fishing is the most artistic form of fishing, it's because of its founders, not the current practitioners.