“All men are equal before fish.” –Herbert Hoover
Regardless of what you might say about our 31st President, who bears the ignominious reputation for leading the United States into the Great Depression nearly a century ago, he at least had this thought right.
At the end of the day, the rivers or oceans don’t care—nor do the fish care—where you’re from, your status in life, the jobs you’ve held, how much money you’re worth, or any of that. The fish don’t care if you’re male or female, black, brown or white, gay or straight, rich or poor, or anything else.
The fish lives at one end of the cast, and you—no matter who you are—are at the other. It’s the most equal playing field of any sporting pursuit in the world. And that, my friends, in my mind, is the single greatest attribute of fishing, particularly fly fishing for trout.
Period.
After all, the only thing that really matters is the cast you make. And, well, of course, the fly you present… how you present it… if you can sense the strike… and what happens next after the hook-up happens. (Jeez, there’s a lot that goes into it, isn’t there?)
After years of guiding and writing about fly fishing, it never ceases to amaze me how egalitarian the game really is.
An “everyone” pursuit
Thus, to those who call fly fishing an “elitist” pursuit, I say hogwash. Bull-corn.
Are there fancy lodges that cater to the ultra-wealthy? Sure. Are there exclusive fly-fishing clubs on private waters? Of course. Do certain fly-fishing manufacturers live and die by their abilities to talk angling consumers into buying thousand-dollar fly rods and waders that cost more than some people pay for a month’s rent? You bet.
But at the end of the day, does any of that really matter when it comes down to a person’s ability to actually catch fish on a wild river or out in the open seas?
No. At least not always.
And the funny thing is, the most “successful” people I’ve fished with—in the context of what they may have accomplished in their real professional lives—absolutely respect the fact that none of that has any bearing, whatsoever, on what happens when they’re on the water.
I cannot count the number of times I’ve enjoyed watching the CEO of a Fortune 500 company giggle and nod like a little boy (or girl) after they’ve had their butts kicked by a native or wild trout that spooled them or wrapped them around a rock in the river.
We can all be trout bums
The term “trout bum” was born of good reason, and I have seen many who might not have two nickels to rub together step into a river and put on an absolute clinic for anyone who might be lucky enough to watch.
In any regard, the smart anglers not only understand the breaks of the game; they relish the fact that triumph comes after repeated failures.
Granted, today, an awful lot of focus in fly fishing has been aimed at handing out “participation trophies” and many a photo has been hung on the wall of those who have been successfully coached into landing a fish of a lifetime. That’s just fine, insofar as it breeds interest and excitement.
But at the end of the day, the dedicated anglers know the difference. And, for that matter, the fish know also.
Good is good. Right is right. Skill is skill. And truth is truth.
The honest truth is, no person will ever step into any river, lake or saltwater flat, anywhere in the world, where the fish you might be chasing, give one rip about who you are, where you come from, or any of that stuff.
And I am so very grateful for that.
That is, at the end of the day, the number one reason why I love fishing so much.