tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3918514418757933899.post3316523285886148928..comments2023-08-28T10:53:49.807-05:00Comments on The Classical Angler: Company vs. CrowdsErik Helmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727530868264488710noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3918514418757933899.post-9179132163178087392010-01-08T10:15:15.727-06:002010-01-08T10:15:15.727-06:00AJ,
Excellent comments. Thank you. Yes, for many a...AJ,<br />Excellent comments. Thank you. Yes, for many anglers out there if there is no audience to reinforce the conquest then fishing is boring. It amazes me how some individuals just will not break from the herd and go it alone. To me, sometimes those almost spiritual experiences on the river are best when one's own thoughts become part of nature's rhythm.<br /><br />One of the best days I ever had trout fishing was for foot-long cutthroat on the Lochsa. I was all alone in the upper reaches. Sublime. Especially for this Midwest boy who never fished a true cascading freestoner before. What would the experience be like if the river was filled with anglers?<br />As you put it, trophy fisheries attract crowds, but many opportunities exist for us if we measure the experience of fly-fishing vs. the fish itself.Erik Helmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00727530868264488710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3918514418757933899.post-3926449133215781452010-01-08T01:39:31.289-06:002010-01-08T01:39:31.289-06:00In addition to the general overcrowding of our riv...In addition to the general overcrowding of our rivers for various reasons there is (as noted) something of a herd mentality amongst certain types. As busyness has become endemic, so also has a kind of "social compression." Not only do many people tolerate a higher level of social contact than I can, many of them cannot function without it. They must have social interaction to feel comfortable. I was snooping around on the net a while back, and a fellow had remarked how lonely he felt in a deserted campground, wishing he had chosen one with more people. I recently spoke to a man who refuses to fish a certain river at the beginning/end of the regular season because "it's freaky up there by yourself." I constantly see groups of four or five anglers, spaced out a rod length or two apart, flogging the water in a run, not moving out of earshot even when there is room enough to spread out. This is actually a blessing in disguise. If you are willing to (gasp) walk up 'round the corner you will have as much untouched water as you could want. At least until the next paved/obvious turnout with it's attendant corporate therapy group. By the by, there is apparently a new technique for catching trout. By whipping the water to foam, one may simply net the poor fish as they struggle to swim in the meringue. Granted I've not actually seen this work, but it must since they keep trying it. fortunately, to a large degree the people who are the most likely to contribute to the crowds are often the least likely to "waste" time hiking in somewhere for a handful of eight inch West Slope Cutthroat.--AJtrout chasernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3918514418757933899.post-69741730117865320492010-01-06T14:49:23.015-06:002010-01-06T14:49:23.015-06:00When you're a sheep, you end up in the herd.
...When you're a sheep, you end up in the herd. <br /><br />Think harder. Work harder. Simple as that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com