The Name of the Game is Changing

The face of fly fishing is changing. For years, to both members of the sport and outsiders, a fly fisherman has been stereotypically viewed as a white haired old man standing in perfectly calm water delicately casting to gently sipping brown trout. Think the dad in A River Runs Through It. If you don’t know who that is chances are you aren’t a fly fisher, but if you are one, there is something seriously wrong with you for not seeing that movie.

Ok, getting back to my point, for years fly fishing has been viewed as an elitist sport. The equipment is way more expensive, the traditional locations are in more picturesque locations, and the fishing is more delicate. While this may be our sport’s past, it sure isn’t its present.

While the older generation still in the sport, lets say the majority of those over the age of 35-40, still fall into the traditional camp, the young guys of the sport are looking to shake things up a bit.

This new generation of fly fishermen is a lot like the new alt-rock bands that formed in the 90’s. Those guys were looking to redefine their parent’s version of music, and guess what, they did. The same is true for the new fly fishers. They are looking to expand and change the old style of the sport into realms never before explored.

When my buddies and I are looking for a place to go fishing chances are that we will at least consider the more well known hot spots, but most of the time we are going to end up at some unproven intersection of water and road that we found on Google Maps. To us, fly fishing isn’t as much about the fishing as it is about the adventure and the exploration.

Fly fishing isn’t about bamboo rods and woven creels anymore. It’s becoming a down and dirty sport with a new generation of guys who are truly a breed all of their own. To the old guys, thanks for all of the knowledge and history that you have passed down to us. For the rest of us though, go crack open some warm PBRs and get out the cheap handle of bourbon because we’re here to stay.

Tyler