So What Is Flyfishing? by Dennis Dickson

So What Is Flyfishing?

I had this dream the other night. I found myself in this room with all these people, men mostly, all garbed out in the latest flyfishing apparel. I was more than a little uncomfortable in my neoprene waders and wading jacket, but there I was, standing in line with a whole lot of guys waiting to get through. Each angler had his fly rod strung up, the fly in its keeper. At the head of the line was a table of flyfishing notables checking out the anglers’ gear, counting this and measuring that. This panel of gentlemen had patches on their patches. It was obvious I was standing in the presence of the elite.

The guy next to me looked at my resoled wading shoes and aquasealed waders and asked." What river you signing up for?" "North Fork Stilly I guess." I answered. "Not with that fly you won't", He stated. I looked at my # 4 Oso special. " Stilly has gone to # 6 green butt skunk only". "Yeah, He continued. " I heard of one guy who lost all his gear and his club membership for fishing a marabou on the Skagit". Even I knew marabou was illegal.

By the time I had worked my way to the front I was sweating bullets. I could see the poor sap ahead of me. They had already checked his rod manufacturer, microned and measured his leader, weighed his fly, verified its designer, (homemade flies are illegal), measured the drag pull on his reel, (double pawl only) examined his wading shoes for cleat height, and were going through his wading vest to be sure there wasn't any polarized glasses for spotting fish or rocks for throwing at them. He must have checked out because they stamped his river pass and assigned him to his river guide. It was only as I was walking out did I realize he had a two-year apprenticeship with his river keeper before it was legal for him to fish on his own. I sure hope he passes the 100-foot casting test, I thought.

"Dennis! Dennis! Wake up! Are you OK?" It was my wife. "I hope so." I mumbled.

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