Flyfishermen give flyfishermen a bad name.

Now, before I go on my tirade, let me set the record straight. I don't have a problem with fly fishing or real fly fishermen. I think fly fishing is an art, and one I really respect. Once in a while I pick up my outfit and give it a whirl and I have fun doing so.
Now, for my tirade. I recently opened a thread titled "Fly rod/Fish pics". Some of those pics were just amazing, truly amazing, some of the scenery shots, were breath taking, the pics that upset me are the ones that have the fish laying on the snow, in the dirt, in the sand, covered in dirt and sand, in the grass, and on the rocks. Do all those pics I just mentioned offend me... nope. For all i know they were kept, but the thing that really gets me, is the fact that no one, not one single negative comment was made towards the treatment of these fish. I have seen other anglers on this site post similar pics and got lambasted for their efforts. Is it because there is a fly rod in each of these pics? Do all you fly junkies stick together and feel you can treat the fish in an unethical manor and its ok, yet a bait or spinner guy gets thrown to the wolves by yins because its wasn't taken by fly fishing means?
Lets call this site for what it is.. "lets show off my equipment and show my expensive gear off."
I hear preaching of catch and release, and "well those on the stringer aren't going to live to fight another day" and similar comments made by some of those posters and If you didn't post I'm sure you viewed it, but no one made any negative comments on the fish laying in the dirt. Why? You feel so freely to bash Dr. Trout when he posted a similar pic? Or is there a pact between the fly fishing brotherhood that "thall shall not bust another fly fisherman's balls"?
I have heard and seen fly fishermen brag about fighting a large trout, in the dead of summer for 45 minutes and unhook the fish and just let it go. Trout are sooooo fragile. Those big browns I caught, I probably didn't fight a quarter of the time that I have seen some taken on a fly rod and all those browns I caught after they were released would lay 3 feet from me on the bottom recovering. sometimes up to an hour. These browns weren't fought for very long, maybe 5-10 minutes, immediately unhooked, a quick pic snapped and back in the drink they go.. oh, and in very calm water i might mention.
Trout have a very thin slimy membrane on the outside and if its removed it could be fatal to the fish... I.E. those pics of the fish laying in the dirt, sand, grass.. all can do damage to that membrane.
Their gills are super sensitive yet I see pics of the fish laying in the snow.. if a trout or any other fish is taken out of water for any period of time with the temps below freezing.. you can do serious gill damage.
Was I offended by any of the pics, not in the slightest, I just see that particular post as a double standard, and I can see why some people think of fly fishermen as elitist snobs. I have a ton of respect for several fly fishermen that I have met and befriended, but there are a ton of them that think just because they own an expensive fly rod, they are automatically a great fishermen and feel the need to belittle others.
Lets not forget, Although good, expensive equipment might have a more sensitive feel, and get you those extra 10 yards of casting, so the equipment does help, but what it all boils down to, is how the equipment is used. If you know what you are doing you can catch fish, but if you dont, you are just a shmuck with expensive equipment. If you know how to fish you can catch fish on any equipment expensive or not.
This thread isnt directed to all of those who posted, I saw some really cool pics, I just found it super funny how no one made a negative comment on some of those pics. Can anyone say hypocritical?

ORIGINAL: ubertracker


Is it because there is a fly rod in each of these pics? Do all you fly junkies stick together and feel you can treat the fish in an unethical manor and its ok, yet a bait or spinner guy gets thrown to the wolves by yins because its wasn't taken by fly fishing means?
Can anyone say hypocritical?

No, you can say that you can only say the same thing so many times. Sometimes cluttering up a thread showing photos is just not worth starting a pi$$ing match over. Because that's what happens, every time.

hoo kares

I agree 100% with what ubertracker. In fact I'll take it a step farther. I don't have a problem with fly fishing. I have a problem with fly fishermen. In general I just don't like ya'll very much.

ORIGINAL: outfortrout

I agree 100% with what ubertracker. In fact I'll take it a step farther. I don't have a problem with fly fishing. I have a problem with fly fishermen. In general I just don't like ya'll very much.

I don't like guys that play warmachine

ORIGINAL: SonofZ3

Uber- The majority of the guff being thrown around in reference to fish on rocks or being held by the gills etc. is just guys giving each other a hard time because thats what guys do. Most of the fly fishermen on this site are casual C&R fishermen, they keep some fish, they release most of them, and they have no problem with people keeping their legal limit or releasing fish, whatever they want to do.

I respect that response, and I understand people like to bust peoples balls, and i join in on that fun from time to time, but the problem is, sarcasm is hard to decipher in type. I understand there is a lot of sarcasm, but there is also a lot of what i mentioned, and I did say, it wasnt directed to all, but I can see where people label those I talked about as 'snobs'. Thats the point i was trying to make.

ORIGINAL: ubertracker
 You feel so freely to bash Dr. Trout when he posted a similar pic? Or is there a pact between the fly fishing brotherhood that "thall shall not bust another fly fisherman's balls"?

I agree with this sentiment the very most.  again if you flog one guy for it, you better not be doing it yourself.

I never really thought what was said to DT was appropriate (or to chauncy for that matter).
------------------------

I think that fly fishermen don't really the absolute moral high ground about trout mortality.  nor do I find it all that relevant even if it that technique still kept more fish alive (than others). PA stocks millions of trout (some in trophy range).  whether some die or not is a small matter. 

what is harsh is how bigoted some Fly fishing guys are about harvest (hey they kill trout too), how  they hate bait guys, and recreational anglers (a guy that fishes 2-3 times a year doesn't do that much damage to a fishery).   if some fly fishermen weren't anti guys,they would be no reason to post this.  since occasionally we all (accidentally or not) kill fish.

I think that fishing was more fun before the internet.

It really does not matter what fishing technique or equipment you use, it is the person using it that is the issue.  I have seen guys with spinning gear do stupid things as well as centerpinners and fly fisherman.  Somehow there has come to be an understanding that because these fish are stocked they are of little value as creatures and you can abuse them as you want.  These are living creatures and they command our respect.  When we fish for them and catch them, most of the time we release them to fight again.  Sometimes we keep a few to eat.  In either case, the fish should be treated well, not thrown up on the bank, dragged through the mud kicked around or thrown into the air so we can watch the do a back flip as they slam into the water.

If you feel a need to take a picture of a fish, hold it correctly, in the water and get the picture quickly so if you are planning to release the fish you do so without stressing it too much.  If you are planning to keep the fish, be sure to treat it properly, clean it quickly and keep it on ice so it stays fresh.  Steelhead is a fine eating fish you handle it the right way.  If not, it can go south on you very quickly.

I practice very carefully. Most that do as I mentioned by laying on the bottom are caught during the dead of summer, when the water is warm. It doesnt take long for big browns to become exhausted in those conditions, which means, play them quickly (not 45 minutes as some have bragged about) unhooked, and released, and I did mention in slow moving water, because if I would release them in the swift water where they were caught, they would bounce around off rocks and logs and end up dead.. trust me, i am careful.

ORIGINAL: Riverbum

It's quite probable that if you practiced C&R more carefully, those brownies wouldn't lay paralyzed at your feet.

"sarcasm is hard to decipher in type"
 
Not if you have the IQ of a flyfisherman.  They are actually intelligent enough to understand.
 
By the way, that was sarcasm, in case you didn't decipher that.

Fish will live a lot longer if we all just stop fishing for them too. You first!

ORIGINAL: ubertracker
(not 45 minutes as some have bragged about)

Please show me where someone has bragged about playing a brown trout for 45 minutes. I think you made that up.

Actually no i didnt make it up, i actually heard that one in the local tackle shop.. Twice by two different people.

ORIGINAL: D-nymph

ORIGINAL: ubertracker
(not 45 minutes as some have bragged about)

Please show me where someone has bragged about playing a brown trout for 45 minutes. I think you made that up.

I can see why some people think of fly fishermen as elitist snobs.

Not all fly fisherman are elitist snobs.  The elitist snobs are the guys that give me a hard time about using live minnows on my fly rod setup all the time.  Maybe it's not technically fly fishing, but who cares.  Why shouldn't I be able to use a live minnow on my fly rod if I want?  Why do some fly fisherman get so upset about another person using natural bait on their fly rod?

I have grown up spin fishing live minnows for trout since I was a very little kid.  I feel confident using them, and usually catch more fish than most or all of the people around me in any conditions.  I fish minnows on a fly rod, because I like the more manual approach of stripping the line in by hand, the ability to use lighter tippet because of the longer softer rod, the more aggressive strikes, and the feel of the rod when fighting a fish. 

I just can't bring myself to use an artificial bait like a woolly bugger or a streamer to imitate a minnow, when I can just use the real thing.  I've used woolly buggers and streamers in trout streams for several years now, and my opinion is that there is absolutely no comparison between the artificial streamer and using a live minnow for trout when both are fished the same way.