Is fly fishing the bowhunting of fishing?

[Phaseolus]

I grew up shooting carp with my 35# Wing Nighthawk. I guess that could count as the bowhunting of fishing

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Some beauties there Bruce, only one thing could make them even better............catching them on the fly!!

I can't wear pastels.

 

[2ski]

Why isn't fishing fishing and hunting hunting. To differentiate amd try tp make one better than the other is by definition elitist isn't it?

Any fishing requires reading water, conditions, substructure. I would say walleye are harder to catch than Trout. Why don't they have fly fishing Trout leagues and circuits? Because Trout aren't hard to catch. So elk hunting with a bow doesn't compare to fly fishing for trout. Elk hunting is way harder than Trout fishing. And I like to fish for trout. Troll, spin, and fly fish.

There's a fly shop in Ennis. I won't go in it anymore. Unless you look like you're dripping a few grand they don't have time for you. Elitist snobs.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[juan trueno]

Up high. Not much color yet. Coffee was ok. Fire was smoky

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4rcgoat]

Beautiful brookie. Some people must have met some pretty shotty folks on the water at some point. Elitist snobs sounds like what I have always thought about golfers, funny thing is I haven't met a golfer that I didn't get a long with, and I have zero interest in golf. You certainly can't compare trout to elk, but to stalk up and down a river or stream searching for a rising trout to cast to does remind me of when I'm sneaking through the timber with my bow searching for elk. I have convinced myself that I would rather hunt with a bow for just about everything, does that make me an Elitist? Once I turned to fly fishing I have never looked back, refusing to go back to the dark side, elitist?, I think not, snob?, far from it. I'm a burned out carpenter who drives an old pickup truck to the water, buy most stuff online so I don't have to frequent the overpriced fly shop( only 1 in town). The few dedicated bug flingers that I know well are just everyday Joe's, work hard and have a passion for the wild. For me, the tug is the drug, tight lines fellas!.

 

[Tom_]

Beautiful brookie. Some people must have met some pretty shotty folks on the water at some point. Elitist snobs sounds like what I have always thought about golfers, funny thing is I haven't met a golfer that I didn't get a long with, and I have zero interest in golf. You certainly can't compare trout to elk, but to stalk up and down a river or stream searching for a rising trout to cast to does remind me of when I'm sneaking through the timber with my bow searching for elk. I have convinced myself that I would rather hunt with a bow for just about everything, does that make me an Elitist? Once I turned to fly fishing I have never looked back, refusing to go back to the dark side, elitist?, I think not, snob?, far from it. I'm a burned out carpenter who drives an old pickup truck to the water, buy most stuff online so I don't have to frequent the overpriced fly shop( only 1 in town). The few dedicated bug flingers that I know well are just everyday Joe's, work hard and have a passion for the wild. For me, the tug is the drug, tight lines fellas!.

You got it right. I'd fish with you.

 

[PA_Hunter8]

I don’t fly fish, but I do bow hunt and I view it as similar to bow hunting in that it’s a “finer art” than the alternative. Not that it’s always more difficult, but fly fisherman and bow hunters both seem to take it very seriously, have serious gear addictions, and appreciate the art of the sport as much as the sport itself. That’s my perspective, anyway!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ben]

Yes

 

[Jaker_cc]

I enjoy fly fishing much more than casting conventional tackle in places that are conducive to fly fishing. If we are standing shoulder to shoulder combat fishing on a lake then you can bet I'm going to be there casting spinners. Give me a high mountain stream or a float boat and it's fly all the way. Different situations require different methods in both hunting and fishing. But yes the purity factor is much higher for me when both fly fishing and bow hunting.

 

[seldomseensmith]

I’ve heard it said that fly fishing is the figure skating of the outdoor world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tater]

As i get older, i look at things in terms of continuums. Think of it as a "1-10 scale". Some folks are casual bowhunters, golfers, fishermen or whatever. Kind of a "3/10". Others are more focused on the pursuit of the pastime, and maybe bowhunt more than rifle hunt, golf more rounds, or flyfish more than spincast (6/10).

Then we have the folks that may only bowhunt, or use traditional or primitive (make their own gear etc.), only take holidays that involve golf, or can tell you the latin name for every mayfly in the area and are scientific at matching the hatch. This seems to be more 8.5-9/10 territory.
People seem to find ther own pace and place with things as they need them (they can take what they need from it and leave the rest).

It only becomes an a**hole-fest when they create their entire self identity around that single pursuit, rather than being well rounded people that are open to other people's reflections or participation in the hobby.

FWIW, this forum is a rare showcase of "8+/10" folks when it comes to a pursuit (hunting the backcountry) that seem to be well rounded human beings.

Some self-indulgent personal philosophy before my first cup of coffee is finished...

 

[juan trueno]

Windy as hell. Grueling day. Finally tucked in lee of the island and hit some dock fish just to say we
Did!! Blowing +15 all damn day. But we did drink some high life.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I grew up fly fishing, my dad is pretty deep into it. We were lucky to live 20-30 minutes from an area where we had access to a half dozen sections of th same river where there were lots of brook trout and few people fishing so we would go 2-3 evenings a week and then on weekends go fish the trophy waters at the San Juan river.

I actually have more trouble using a spinning rod than a fly rod and I don’t think fishing with a spinning rod is all that fun. I don’t really see the connection to bowhunting, maybe with a trad bow but not a modern hoyt compound lol.

 

[juan trueno]

Listening to the echo returns.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Trial153]

I will be wetting a line in the morning in the Adirondacks...right now its lagavulin 16 neat.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

 

[4rcgoat]

Listening to the echo returns.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey I recognize those signs in the background, me and a couple guys fromT.U. painted those last year!! Your obviously in my neck of the woods!

 

[ShawnStonefly]

There's a fly shop in Ennis. I won't go in it anymore. Unless you look like you're dripping a few grand they don't have time for you. Elitist snobs.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Had a similar shop like that by my house when I wanted to get into ff about a decade or so ago. Seemed like the older fly guys wanted no part of new people entering the hobby. Don't know if there has been a cultural shift in the industry or being rude to new anglers that will potentially provide you long term revenue is a bad business model but most shops I've go to now don't have that vibe anymore.

You treat the 20 year old kid buying a starter kit right he'll be the 35 year old guy buying the 1k rod and week long float trip from you every year.

 

[topher89]

Had a similar shop like that by my house when I wanted to get into ff about a decade or so ago. Seemed like the older fly guys wanted no part of new people entering the hobby. Don't know if there has been a cultural shift in the industry or being rude to new anglers that will potentially provide you long term revenue is a bad business model but most shops I've go to now don't have that vibe anymore.

You treat the 20 year old kid buying a starter kit right he'll be the 35 year old guy buying the 1k rod and week long float trip from you every year.

Yup.

The local shop I have been going to treated me great when I bought a $150 starter set-up, a mid-level 3wt set-up and a very nice Scott G-Series. Through each purchase, I felt like they wanted to get me the right thing for the money that I wanted to spend. Now, I am a long term customer and every fly fishing related purchase I make will be through them.

I do not see "snobs" out there.

 

[juan trueno]

From time to time I’m in your AO anyway...

I love that river.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KSP277]

I find archery relaxing. I find fly fishing infuriating. Im either tying knots or untangling them. And lets not even talk about nymphing in a boat while hanging on for dear life......

P.s. its a bobber, dont try and church it up fly guys ("strike indicator") << jk

My thoughts exactly!