Feelings from a River runs through it

[Armando]

Hi
This is something thats being in my head for a long long while, and wanted to ask about it.
I've seen here, in other forums, in fly fishing shops, rivers, lakes etc... a sudden rage towards the movie and the people who turned to flyfishing or began fishing because of it. Still happening!! :confused: Funny thing most of those who mock the movie and followers are pretty aged but saw the movie and enjoyed it anyway.
Questions are: what's the big deal if a movie or a grandpa initiated you into the flyfishing world?
Are you less a fisherman if you started false casting after seeing it? What is it that you really need to be a damn pure flyfisherman???
I see it this way, Im 28, I don't recall exactly if I started flyfishing with it or just some months before, truth is it helped a lot, as I started on my own, didn't had a video or whatever to watch other than books, and you can't really learn by just reading. Somehow discovered ff videos, introduced myself to Lefty, Rajeff, Dahlberg etc even though they dont know me and get to be a Flyfisherman and a good one might add.
Now theres another point, grumpy purist guys out there dont like younger people joining the ff world by any mean other than gene inheritance, they dont want to share a river, lake or flat with movie enthusiasts or any new comer and never realise that the future of fishing, is water care and that it is really guaranteed by new generations of fanatic fishermen who really love the sport and help looking after fisheries.
Wouldn't it be better to see such experienced, full of knowledge flyfishermen teaching new generations the art, poetry, naturness of this beloved sport to new generations???? Instead of looking over the shoulder and down to 'em all??
Thanks

[RogerStg]

The downside is that it "unbalanced" things. Before the movie, maybe one in ten folks on the river were new. After the movie, there were far more people on the river, and about half of the folks on the river were new, traipsing through runs, crowding your fishing, etc.

It's all a matter of degree. I don't mind helping someone along, either to understand the fishing or the protocol. But, I also don't want to do that all day. After a while it gets frustrating, and generalizations are made.

[Mark Dougherty]

I am not sure I get this. (not unusual for me). If the issue is "purists" look down on those who discovered the sport via a film, I dont buy it. My gene pool is empty, so to speak, in terms of elder family members introducing me to the sport. I just thought it looked like fun. As far as inconsiderate fisher-persons, well, my experience is that there are clowns in all sports. You should see opening day of trout season in PA, my home state....downright dangerous !!! or opening day of birds !!! Ya gotta learn to "duck" !!!! i have never watched the film. I know it did wonders for small fly shops....which is the place to best be introduced to the sport (opinion). I'd say 95% of us try to do the right things.....however, as the song says "Send in the Clowns...dont bother, their here" ......

[RogerStg]

As far as inconsiderate fisher-persons...

I've resembled that remark at times ;)

My experience is that most newbies are inconsiderate because they are ignorant, they are not clowns. Ignorance, as I can attest to, is curable with education and experience --125-3 . I don't think there is anything really elitist or sinister to it. Fly fishing is an activity that attracts some of the best, most civil people, whatever their motivation for being there.

As I described previously, so many newbies in such a short period of time made it difficult for the more seasoned (whatever their age) to enjoy their time on the water. That only occured in the first few years after the movie. It is not that way now, at least where I fish.

BTW, opening day is a whole different story. It is a circus, and one should expect to see some clowns. --127-3-

[Slappy]

The only problem with the movie is that it took attention away from the book. It is very well written with so many great lines about life and fishing.

[Armando]

Hi
Thanks for the answers, I totally second the clown stuff, thats is so true, though clowns never last. I know the movie produced a ff revolution that left with time a small group of real Fly fishermen, never care for those hillarious new comers 'cause they leave as they come.
I've being fishing since I was 6, which I remember 'cause I landed a 2 pound carp that look to me like a whale, but only flyfished for the last 10 years or so, and believe me thats all I do.
I share the "oh damn it" feeling of a crowded place, I prefer me alone or with a good partner, and thats it. But modern days bring enviromental destruction the fishing bussiness has grown up a lot, equipment that has to be sold, millions who buy, advertising everywhere, we love those new rods, lines and superb large arbor reels, we also buy pathologically but I fear not having a place to fish in my future, sad thing, it is allready happening, so education for this tsunamis of crowds that come and go are the only guarantee to leave fisheries not so desolated.

[MatMet]

As a new comer who has never seen the movie, I dont have much to say except that i believe the line that "Ignorance, as I can attest to, is curable with education and experience". As many others my first memories are on the water, and I feel that FF is the evolution of fishing. That being said, why is evolution so expensive? I have 3 reel, 2 rods, and have not even caught anything yet, winter is partially to blame, but what is this uncontrolable urge that i have to buy ... anything FF related? This seems to be the norm as many others speak of this same afliction?

P.S. sorry if I have stumbled though anyones favourite hole...