PDF - Angling Trade

Transcription

PDF - Angling Trade

the buzz on the flyfishing biz
®
TRADE
Inside
The TEACHING Issue
Replace Yourself/ Am I Too Old to Teach
Fly Casting?/ My Favorite Professors/
Wagner’s Top 10 Teaching Tips
March2009AnglingTrade.com
the buzz on the flyfishing biz
CONTENTS
®
TRADE
Features
Departments
Editor
Kirk Deeter
[email protected]
Managing Editor
18 Replace Yourself
6 Editor’s Column
If you want to do a service to flyfishing,
make it a goal to replace yourself with
at least one younger angler who shares
your passion. So say the likes of Joan
Wulff, Lefty Kreh, and Nick Lyons.
On Chinese proverbs, and the ideal that
being an effective educator can be the
keystone for success... and not only in
the classroom. By Kirk Deeter
By Jay Cassell
8 Currents
The latest scoop on the industry, including
the skinny on recent consumer shows.
26 They Said It
Will Rice goes one-on-one with Terry Gunn,
guide, photographer, and owner of Lees
Ferry Anglers.
22 Am I Too Old to Teach Fly
28 My Favorite Professors
Some of the teachers who had
profound impact on my career didn’t
work in lecture halls wearing tweed
jackets. They worked the river, in
waders, as guides. By Kirk Deeter
Editor-at-Large
Charlie Meyers
[email protected]
Art Director
Tara Brouwer
[email protected]
brouwerdesign.com
Copy Editors
Mabon Childs, Sarah Warner
Contributing Editors
Tom Bie
Ben Romans
Andrew Steketee
Greg Thomas
Contributors
Monte Burke, Jay Cassell,
Joe Cermele, Joseph Meyer, Will Rice,
Roy Tanami, Jeff Wagner
Casting? It must be a sign of my aging
process but I am mystified that those
younger students who come to me for
fly casting instruction just don’t have the
worldliness to grasp the tools that I have
always used to illustrate the dynamics of
the cast. By Joseph Meyer
Tim Romano
[email protected]
Photos unless noted by Tim Romano
Photo by Terry Gunn
32 Opinion Editorial
Monte Burke offers his witty take on some
of the life lessons he’s learned on the water.
35 Recommended Reading
Why We Suck by Dr. Denis Leary. Yes
that Denis Leary. It has nothing to do with
flyfishing, but who doesn’t need a laugh
these days?
Angling Trade is published four
times a year by Angling Trade,
LLC. Author and photographic
submissions should be sent
electronically to
[email protected].
Angling Trade is not responsible
for unsolicited manuscripts
and/or photo submissions. We ask
that contributors send formal queries
in advance of submissions. For
editorial guidelines and calendar,
please contact the editor via E-mail.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Advertising Contact: Tim Romano
Telephone: 303-495-3967
Fax: 303-495-2454
[email protected]
30 Wagner’s Top 10
Teaching Tips The essentials for
effectively teaching flyfishing from a
seasoned industry professional.
By Jeff Wagner
36 Backcast
Teaching for Profit How certain guides
and shops have used education to drive
the bottom line. By Charlie Meyers
Street Address:
3055 24th Street
Boulder, CO 80304
AnglingTrade.com
3
AnglingTrade.com / March 2009
Mail Address:
PO Box 17487
Boulder, CO 80308
CONTRIBUTORS
YOUR ONLINE FORUM
We’re proud to have hooked Monte Burke, a
staff writer for Forbes, and author of acclaimed
books (Sowbelly, Leaper), into writing for
Angling Trade while he was still young. Hell, he’s
still young, but you’ll find no greater talent with
words in this business.
Jay Cassell
Jay Cassell is deputy editor of Field & Stream
magazine. His latest book project, The Gigantic
Book of Hunting Stories (Skyhorse Publishing),
contains, among its 800 pages, two very poignant
entries penned by the late Lee Wulff... do check
the book out.
photo by Tom Montgomery
Monte Burke
www.
Angling
Trade
.com
Joe Cermele
Joe Cermele is further proof that Angling Trade
is more than happy to poach writers from other
magazines, especially the world’s leading outdoors publication... he’s associate online editor
for Field & Stream. Cermele is our “Undercover
Angler” in this issue.
THE WEBSITE FOR
THE BUZZ ON THE
FLYFISHING BIZ
Joseph Meyer
One man’s passion, expressed in aerospace-grade aluminum
and carbon fiber. A love song to bonefish, steelhead, stripers,
Joseph Meyer is Angling Trade’s guest writer from
among the retailer ranks. He owns a fly shop, “One
More Cast,” in Illinois, and has made a successful
business out of teaching and developing fly anglers
of all ages. Welcome aboard, Mr. Meyer.
tuna or any drag-smoking denizen of the deep or shallow.
A fully sealed, crank-it-down, tarpon-stopping, all-graphite power
Will Rice
disk brake with 6X-saving, ultra-slick startup not that you’d fish
Will Rice is an important part of the Angling
Trade team. His off-the-beaten-path pieces
add flavor to our mix, especially when he goes
one-on-one with industry icons for “They Said
It.” You might also notice that he’s a regular
feature writer with The Drake.
6000 SERIES
6X for tarpon but you get the idea. Pure butter. Smooth like silk.
Like fifty buck bourbon. Like the flats at dawn on a dead calm day.
Dial up your number, fire when ready, hold on tight. Lighter,
faster, stronger, smoother, sweeter. An all-new dream from the
Roy Tanami
mind of our resident rocket scientist. Built by Sage. Feel the love.
Roy Tanami is one of the best-traveled writers/
authors/photographers in the flyfishing world. In
the last issue, we reviewed his new book, Angling
the World. Now we’ve put him to work on a photoessay from the Louisiana Bayou... tough payback.
We’ll
Always
Give It To
You Straight.
Many accessories on the
market today are imported.
A lot of companies try to talk
around that point. Angler’s
Accessories will always give
you the real story. We look for
the best products at the best
prices available. No excuses.
No double-talk.
Jeff Wagner has written often before for Angling
Trade. In this, the “teaching issue” we just had to
include him, because he’s not only a writer, he’s
also one of the best casting and fishing instructors
in America. See Wagner’s tips for further proof.
© 2009 All rights reserved.
sageflyfish.com
15353 E. Hinsdale Circle, Unit F
Centennial, Colorado 80112
www.anglersaccessories.com
303-690-0477
Jeff Wagner
EDITOR’S COLUMN
There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that goes:
“Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime.”
teacher. When I write pieces for Field & Stream or
Angling Trade, before they go out to the readers, I always
run them by Charlie, because he inevitably comes back
with tips that make me better at what I do.
In our little flyfishing business realm, we might adapt
that thinking to: “Sell a man some flies, and he will fish
for a day; teach a man to flyfish, and he will be a loyal
customer for a lifetime.”
Granted, I come from a family where my mother, my
wife, my aunt and others are (or were) involved with
teaching. But I believe you don’t have to teach school to
be an educator, or more importantly, to leverage teaching
in your business. In fact, I’d say that the ability to teach is
the keystone for success, no matter what you do.
The good doctor cures, but the great one also coaches
patients how to stay well. The good writer entertains,
and also informs. A good pilot gets you from Point A to
Point B, but when you’re bucking around in a turbulent
holding pattern over O’Hare, it’s the one who explains
what’s going on that earns my appreciation. A good
flyfishing guide can show you where to catch fish,
but the hallmark of the great guide is that he or she
leaves you with the undeniable sense that you got
smarter—that you became a better angler—having
spent time together.
Admit it, we all remember the teachers and coaches
back in our school years who made a profound impact
on us in one way or another. (Granted, if you’re like
me, you may have forgotten the ones who gave you
detention or bad grades.) But the teachers who made a
real positive impact, well, we cannot help but remember
them with gratitude.
In many ways, we all still have teachers, beyond the
classroom. Charlie Meyers of the Denver Post (also the
editor-at-large for this magazine) is now my favorite
6
Do you think for a minute that the average person who
flyfishes doesn’t remember or appreciate the person
who helps them climb the learning curve? Why do
you think Lefty Kreh is the icon he is? Sure, he’s an
engaging guy with millions of stories to share. But
I’ve personally watched Lefty take a rank beginner,
and inside of five minutes, have that person tossing
beautiful, dancing loops out the end of a fly rod. His
innate ability to instruct is, to me, what sets him apart
from the rest of us flyfishing mortals.
I’ll admit something else. The companies I cover
most in this magazine, I do so because their people
are effective educators. I don’t have to guess what
their message is, or what their products do, or why you
readers might be interested in them. They make my
job easier by helping me understand information.
My point—and, as such, the theme for this, the
seventh issue of Angling Trade—is very simple. Given
the shaky economy, we’re going to make each of our
2009 issues focus on specific ideals and tactics that
can help retailers, guides, and others in the industry
survive and grow their businesses. In my mind, that
must start with education. Teaching. Make people
better at what they do, and they will inevitably find
you, in fact, seek you out, and reward you with
their business.
Yes, it’s that simple. Be salespersons, be business
operators, be facilitators, be confidants. But in some
form or format, be a teacher, a coach, or a mentor
to the people you work with, and you’ll add value to
your business.
As such, we’ve included a wide range of perspectives
from some of the best writers (and teachers) in
the business to elaborate on this theme in the
following pages. And as usual, I’m eager to hear
your responses and ideas. You can contact me
directly at [email protected]. at
-Kirk Deeter, Editor
CURRENTS
The
Product Buzz
Field Test: New Simms Boots
Earn High Marks
Whether the Simms “StreamTread”
wading boot becomes the footprint
of the future likely will be more a
matter of angler conscience than
official stipulation. But at a time
when the fishing world is abuzz
over the spreading impact of
various invasive species, this much
is certain: this rubber-sole boot
offers the first workable alternative
to the spread of nasty organisms
such as whirling disease, didymo
and mud snails via boot soles.
“We have scientific evidence that
felt moves these invaders around,”
Dave Kumlien, executive director
of the Whirling Disease Foundation,
said of a problem that becomes
increasingly more critical with
the discovery that WD is making
rapid incursions into endangered
cutthroat trout populations, even at
higher elevations.
Trout Unlimited has appealed to the
industry to eliminate felt by the year
2011. Simms has pledged to purge its
sole by 2010. Amid rumblings that
other suppliers soon will follow suit
in the development of an alternate
grip. New Zealand has outlawed felt
in its waters and Utah’s Division of
Wildlife Resources has stripped the
old standby from the boots of its
aquatic staff.
Despite these developments, Kumlien
doubts there’ll be a rush by wildlife
agencies toward an outright ban on
felt, leaving the matter as an article of
personal scruple.
Responding to the TU plea, Simms
began experiments more than a
year ago, ultimately in partnership
with Vibram, the Italian company
with 70 years of experience in boot
sole manufacture. The result is a
sort of tri-star design for maximum
purchase and a rubber compound
that emerged from a series of tests.
Simms’ own testing, both in and
outside the firm, produced mixed
opinions. “Some said they liked
StreamTread just the way it is.
Others said it’s better than any
“I took them to the Gallatin River, other rubber but not as good as
one of the more difficult streams to felt,” said Diane Bristol, director of
wade. It was icy and slippery. I gave marketing and brand management.
them a good going over. The grip is For the latter, Simms will offer a
damn good.”
“HardBite” stud system specific to
An Angling Trade test on Colorado’s this Vibram sole, scheduled to arrive
in shops in late February. Bristol
South Platte River under perhaps
emphasized these studs can be arranged
less demanding circumstances
in any pattern, or number, to suit the
produced a similar result when
individual wader or stream condition.
rubber hit the rock.
-Charlie Meyers
None of this foretells the
immediate extinction of felt, the
Cortland Launches New Line
gold standard of upright wading
Cortland’s Precision PE+ Crystal
since most of us can remember.
line is formulated with a blend
An avid angler, Kumlien has
another observation—that
StreamTread performs very well,
even under tough conditions.
But it does offer a viable option at
a time when the sport is clamoring
for environmental relief.
8
of polyethylene and special
copolymers. Built on a nylon
monofilament core, the PE+
Crystal’s patent-pending crystalclear jacket is naturally lighter
than water, eliminating the need
for micro-balloons or other agents
to make it float. This results in a
smaller diameter floating line with
less wind resistance when casting,
and less disturbance when the line
hits the water.
The hard, ultra-smooth PE+
line jacket finish also has a lower
coefficient of friction, so it shoots
silently through the guides and
casts faster and farther than
equivalent PVC-coated floating
lines. This also makes it more
resistant to cuts/abrasion and is
fused to the monofilament core
with an almost unbreakable bond
so nail knots hold securely and
there is never any separation
of jacket and core. The PE+
jacket is also UV stable, will not
absorb water, is highly resistant to
chemicals -- and won’t soften or
dissolve when exposed to DEET,
gasoline or most other solvents.
And, unlike PVC-coated fly lines,
they are 100% recyclable.
Smith’s Riverside Impresses
Another AT field-tested
recommendation: Smith Optics
recently introduced the Riverside,
a sunglass model that melds a
classic look with updated feel, and
features the company’s Techlite
continued on next page...
CURRENTS
and Tapered Lens Tech (TLT)
glass lens technology. Techlite
is highly durable and scratch
resistant, as well as exceptionally
light. Riverside comes in various
polarized lens tints suited for
different fishing situations,
including polarchromic copper
and amber, as well as blue and
green mirrors. They also sport
spring hinges and temple and
nose pads for secure fit, and are
recommended for medium to large
faces. MSRP ranges from $159 to
$179, and like all Smith products,
they’re backed by a lifetime
warranty. See smithoptics.com
for more details.
Vintner Offers Premium
Program for Fly Businesses
StoneFly Vineyards
(stoneflyvineyards.com) is a Napa
Valley winery dedicated to pairing
the rich traditions of flyfishing and
fine wine making. In addition to
serving an outstanding collection
of fine wines, a key element of
program to be of service
to our colleagues and friends
in the flyfishing business.
Everyone is thinking about ways
to retain their best customers
and strengthen relationships with
key partners. This program is
a winner for everyone, helping
businesses show gratitude to their
best customers and partners,
providing the recipient an
outstanding, personalized gift and
allowing us to demonstrate our
wines and commitment to the
angling community.”
To enroll, submit a short application
to StoneFly Vineyards to verify status
as a fishing business or organization.
Once accepted, the business can
order StoneFly Wines at a generous
discount and work with the StoneFly
team to customize a high-quality
greeting card. StoneFly Vineyards
then ships the gift package (card
included) to the chosen customer
or partner.
NEW AND EXCITING — the NRS GigBob personal fishing
cataraft! It’s inflatable, frameless and 20% lighter than other craft of the
same size. This and all the other innovative inflatable boats, apparel and life
nrsb2b.com | 800-243.1677
See video of the GigBob at nrsweb.com/gigbob
As such, StoneFly Vineyards
has launched a program
through which guides, outfitters,
equipment manufacturers,
retailers and others can send
their best customers a bottle
of StoneFly Vineyards wine
along with a customized thankyou card.
StoneFly’s Chief Fly Fishing
Officer (CFFO) Nick
Papadopoulos explained: “A nice
bottle of wine and a card can go
a long way. We developed this
into one case—polycarbonate
lenses offered in the company’s
best selling Deep Six Blue offshore
lens for extreme sunlight reflection,
and Freestone Brown lens for sight
fishing. All lenses are surrounded
by a frame designed to avoid
chipping or scratching during the
interchange process. The frame
has an adjustable nose bridge for
a custom fit. Cordura zippered
case included. MSRP $99.95, see
fishermaneyewear.com.
Quote-worthy
“Only when the tide goes out do
you discover who’s been swimming naked.”
-Warren Buffett
The People Buzz
Far Bank Hires David Visnack
as Director of Marketing
and Merchandising
Far Bank Enterprises, Inc., parent
company of Sage Manufacturing,
Redington
and RIO
Products
Intl., Inc.,
announced
the hiring
of David
Visnack
as director of marketing and merchandising. In this newly-created role,
Visnack will help Far Bank strengthen
its current business within traditional
channels while also reaching out to
new categories and new markets.
Having successfully grown international brands as director of marketing
at SmartWool and vice president of
marketing for Buck Knives, Visnack
will oversee the marketing teams for
all three Far Bank brands. Leveraging
his experience in the outdoor and apparel industries, Visnack hopes to further develop these brands so that they
can leverage new product opportunities that deliver maximum profitability
to Far Bank and its retail partners.
“Our continued focus is to drive
value to our retailers and consumers, and marketing is a big piece of
the equation, especially for retailers,” said Far Bank president Travis
Campbell. “We see this new role as
an evolutionary step in our vision
and we’re excited about David’s past
accomplishments in growing brands.
David’s brand-centric approach to
clothing and accessories is right in
line with our strategy. We look forward to his experience and guidance
in further developing and capitalizing on the strengths of each brand
while building a cohesive, nationally
recognized ‘house of brands’ built
around the principles of innovation,
quality, conservation and the flyfishing
lifestyle. An added benefit of bringing
David on-board is it gives Marc Bale,
11
jackets you need for your next fishing adventure are at NRS.
StoneFly’s mission is to be
a partner to small businesses
and organizations in the
flyfishing market.
Nautilus Creates Spool for
Gelspun Backing
Nautilus Reels recently introduced
the GSPool for the NV 8/9 reel,
designed to offer flyfishers who
use Gelspun (GSP) backing a spool
that will hold 200 yds of 65lb
gelspun with a WF9F line. Features
include a ribbed arbor that will
prevent the gelspun backing from
slipping. This ribbed arbor also
gives the sensation that the backing
is floating within the arbor when
viewed from the side, and promotes
faster backing drying after use.
The Nautilus NV 8/9 GSPools are
ported to reduce weight and retains
strength, weigh .5 oz less than the
8/9 spool and is available now in
black or brushed silver anodizing,
as a reel or just a spare spool.
MSRP is $275 (spool only), see
nautilusreels.com.
Fisherman Eyewear Intros
Pro Series Chameleon
The Guideline Pro Series
Chameleon is a lightweight
sunglass designed to adapt to meet
changing fishing conditions. One
frame and two interchangeable
lens color options are packaged
CURRENTS
Far Bank’s VP of sales, who had been
handling these marketing responsibilities, the ability to focus exclusively on
driving sales for the organization.”
lished today. We’ll be working with
writers and photographers to push
forward with the freshest ideas and
best graphics.”
Referring to his new position, David
Visnack said: “It’s an honor to be
working with such solid and iconic
brands. Between Sage, Redington
and RIO, there’s a long heritage of
innovation, and I’m excited to be able
to add to it. Far Bank brands are a
link to the natural beauty that enriches the lives of their customers, so I’m
especially excited to develop brand
initiatives that support conservation
efforts,” Visnack continued.
Ian Gordon Endorses
Hardy in USA
One of the best known ghillies in
Scotland and renowned spey casting champion has joined the Hardy
& Greys Ltd. product development
team as a consultant and is endorsing Hardy Spey lines in America. Ian
Gordon, winner of the Jimmy Green
Spey-O-Rama in San Francisco in
2004 and highly regarded in the US
Spey Casting Community, praises
Hardy for the invention of the Mach
55 and 65 Spey lines.
Thomas Joins Fly Rod & Reel
Greg Thomas (an Angling Trade contributing editor) has joined Fly Rod &
Reel as managing editor,
as of that
magazine’s
March 2009
issue. He’ll be
working from
his home office in Ennis,
Montana, and handling article proposals, editorial scheduling, editing,
as well as writing and shooting photos
for the magazine. AnglingTrade.com / March 2009
Writers/photographers can contact
Greg with article ideas or photo submissions, or associate publisher Joe Healy
(as can manufacturers or organizations
with news/new products). Their respective contacts are gthomas@flyrodreel.
com and [email protected].
“Greg has a deep knowledge of
flyfishing and of outdoor writing,”
said Healy. “We’re lucky to have
such an experienced pro joining us at
FR&R, and also to have an editor in
the Rocky Mountain West. Greg and
I share a vision for the magazine: To
keep FR&R a leader among the most
surprising, entertaining, relevant and
educational flyfishing magazines pub12
“These new Mach lines from Hardy
are must-haves for the serious salmon,
sea trout or steelhead angler,” said
Gordon. “Technological advances in
both coating and physical taper give
the Mach ll the edge - These new
lines feel both slick and easy to cast,
the taper on both the 55 and 65 foot
heads, importantly, make them suitable for both short as well as longer
casts, turning over heavy as well as
lighter flies.
Gordon will be attending The Jimmy
Green International Spey-O-Rama
and Fly Casting Festival in California,
on April 17-19 (spey-o-Rama.com)
and Sandy River Spey Clave in Oregon (flyfishusa.com/spey-clave.htm)
on May 16-17.
to be an Orvis store manager, then
joined Hardy’s marketing team six
years ago.
“I have known John for a long time now
during which his career and standing
within the industry have developed,”
said Fulling Mill managing director
Barry Unwin. “His appointment at
Fulling Mill opens a new chapter for the
company and I am absolutely delighted,
not the least because it means that I can
spend more time on other aspects of the
business (and fishing!).”
Wolstenholme’s Fulling Mill
contact, effective April 1, is
[email protected],
phone +44 0 1293 778635.
Quote-worthy
“Next to doing the right thing,
the most important thing is to
let people know you are doing
the right thing.”
– John D. Rockefeller
Industry Buzz
A Blast from the Past
Industry Icons Hosting
Turneffe Flats Trips
A group of flyfishing experts –
“Living Legends of the Sport”
– are now hosting week-long
excursions to Turneffe Flats in
search of permit, bonefish and
tarpon. Turneffe Flats guests for
these weeks through May 30 will
qualify for a $500 rebate to assist
with airfare. According to Craig
Hayes, the resort’s owner, “Fuel
prices have dropped and so have
our expenses. We feel it is only
fair to pass some of our saving on
to our visitors.” The rebate will
provide free or nearly-free travel
from many U.S. cities.
Upcoming hosts include John and
Amy Hazel, April 4-11; Cathy
and Barry Beck, May 16-23; and
Chico Fernandez, June 6-13. For
information, see tflats.com.
Film Tour Hits the Road
Big waves have hit one of flyfishing
film’s largest purveyors of content
and distribution, as it would appear
that AEG Media, creator of the
“Trout Bum Diaries” film series
and the Fly Fishing Film tour, is no
more. But the show goes on…
“Two partners and I bought the
Flyfishing Film Tour from owners
Terry Wolvert and Jim Crystal,
ensuring that the tour will go on,”
said Tom Bie, editor and publisher
of The Drake.
Mach Spey lines are priced from
$89.00 to $99.00, see hardyusa.com.
Wolstenholme to Fulling Mill
John Wolstenholme, previously
brand marketing manager for
Hardy & Greys, has joined U.K.based fly and fly tackle manufacturer Fulling Mill as the company’s
director of sales and marketing.
Born and raised in South Africa,
Wolstenholme moved to the U.K.
(courtesy Terry Gunn of Lees Ferry
Anglers). Talk about promoting the
virtues of flyfishing and making the
sport more accessible to the masses…
Check out this Scientific Anglers
advertisement that ran in a 1968
issue of Sports Illustrated magazine
According to Bie, the Tour is now
called The Drake Flyfishing Film
Tour and will be a partnership
effort led by himself, Doug Powell
and Chris Kieg. Powell and
Kieg are both anglers and have
experience working with Warren
Miller Entertainment.
The Tour kicked off in February
and will include more than 80
stops. The new owners are taking
a fresh new view and approach to
the tour that includes profit sharing
with the filmmakers, but for the
most part, are downplaying the
change in ownership. “The average
fly fishing film tour attendee
doesn’t give a damn who owns the
tour, he’s just looking for an excuse
to get out of the house on a
cold weeknight in March,”
concluded Bie. “And we aim to
give it to him.”
The Fly Fishing Film Tour includes
short films from Felt Soul Media,
Beattie Outdoor Productions,
Confluence Films, Rollcast
Productions, World Angling, Skinny
Fist Productions, and more. This
year’s lineup of films offers a truly
global experience, showcasing
footage shot in Papua New Guinea,
Russia, New Zealand, Belize, India,
as well as domestic waters from
California and Colorado to Southern
Louisiana and the Florida Keys.
To buy tickets, see the latest
schedule, or watch trailers of the
films, visit flyfishingfilmtour.com.
- Will Rice
Angling International is
Official Media Partner of
EFTTA and EFTTEX
Angling International, published by
U.K.-based Top Corner Editorial
and Design Limited, has been named
the official media partner of the
European Fishing Tackle Trade
Association (EFTTA), and the group’s
annual trade show, the European
Fishing Tackle Trade Exhibition
(EFTTEX), scheduled for June 1214, 2009, in Budapest, Hungary.
As partner, Angling International also
publishes “Newslines,” EFTTA’s
monthly electronic newsletter,
as well as related marketing
and communication support
materials. Angling International has
also launched a special EFTTEX
NEWS mini-magazine section to be
integrated into four pre-EFTTEX
editions of Angling International,
designed to promote the event and
its exhibitors.
“In my opinion, (EFTTEX NEWS)
will give advertisers the greatest
possible exposure to the worldwide
angling trade, and boost (their) sales
capacity enormously,” said JeanClaude Bel, CEO of EFTTA.
For information on Angling International,
contact Lucie Petrickova at lucie@
angling-international.com.
Western Native Trout
Initiative Announces Funding
Grant and 2009 Project
Request to the National Fish
Habitat Board
The Western Native Trout Initiative
(WNTI), a venture of the Western
Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies and a National Fish
Habitat Partnership, announced
that it has received approval of a
multi-state conservation grant that
will fund the operations of the
initiative through December 2011.
The grant is from the annual reallocation of unspent Federal Aid
to Sportfish Restoration dollars.
“For the past two and a half
years, the Western Native Trout
Initiative has worked to develop
a new approach to expanding the
work being done to protect various
CURRENTS
species of cutthroat and other native
trout across the West,” said Robin
Knox, WNTI coordinator. “The
Western Native Trout Initiative has
partnered with 12 western states,
five federal fishery management
agencies, and multiple public and
private entities in a planning and
project implementation effort that
funds on-the-ground data collection
and habitat improvement projects
to conserve and enhance native
trout populations. Over the past
three years, 30 projects have been
initiated and funded by this effort.”
• Honey Creek Diversion #2
removal in Oregon for Redband
trout restoration
• Restore fish passage in Eccles
Creek in Alaska for coastal
Cutthroat trout
• Panther Creek fish passage
barrier removal in Washington
for Westslope Cutthroat trout
• Place protective fish barrier in
McDermott Creek in Nevada for
Lahontan Cutthroat trout
• Fish and habitat restoration
in Santa Clara Creek in
New Mexico for Rio Grande
Cutthroat trout
For more information, see
westernnativetrout.org.
• East Fork Bear River Canal fish
screen placement in Utah for
Bonneville Cutthroat trout
Quote-worthy
WNTI submitted the following list
of native trout habitat projects for
funding in the 2009 project year:
• Remove two fish barriers in
Stony Creek in Montana for
Westslope cutthroat trout
“A man who stops advertising
to save money is like a
man who stops a clock to
save time.”
• Georgetown Road Relocation
Project, Bear River Basin, Idaho
for Bonneville Cutthroat trout
• Lower Deer Creek protective
fish barrier in Montana for
Yellowstone Cutthroat trout
TROPHY REDFISH SCHOOL
ON THE FLY
WHERE: Louisiana… “The Land of the Giants”
WHEN: January 7-10, 2010
HEADQUARTERS: Ritz Carlton, New Orleans
COST: $3500
INCLUDED: 4 nights lodging, 3 days guided fishing (2 anglers
per boat), all meals, seminars and fishing tansports.
PROGRAM INCLUDES: Seminars led by IGFA world record
holders and the hottest guides in the area… and hooking the biggest
redfish in the world; classy accommodations, and New Orleans charm.
LEARN: Presentation techniques and tips; saltwater approaches for
redfish, including weather and condition factors… and much more.
SEE: The French Quarter, the wild marsh, giant redfish, and the
best saltwater experience in America.
NOT INCLUDED: Airport shuttles, alcohol, gratuities.
HOW TO SIGN UP: Contact Captain Gregg Arnold—
cell 504-237-6742, E-mail [email protected]
www.fishinthelandofgiants.com
Written by Roy Tanami
At O: dark 30 in the morning, as the Big
Easy sleeps off the effects of the previous
nights party (and every night’s a party),
it’s about a 45 minute drive from Gregg’s
home in the city to the tiny fishing hamlet
of Hopedale, in St. Bernard Parish, situated at the edge of the Marsh. Hopedale
was ground zero for Katrina, and as if
that wasn’t enough, it was more recently
pounded by Gustav and Ike as well. Signs
of the devastation are still everywhere,
but Hopedale springs eternal, so to speak,
and at the marina and boat launch, its all
about courage, re-building, returning to
oyster leases and the beat of the bayou,
and, of course, catching big redfish.
– Henry Ford
Editor’s Note: As a new feature in the magazine, we’re highlighting travel destinations with
the understanding that referring trips is a way
for retailers to drive sales and revenue. Given
the sagging economy, we thought it wise to
include a domestic destination that is acessible,
but also as “exotic” as any adventure the fly
angler might wish for...
In case you needed yet another excuse
to visit the city of New Orleans, I’m
about to sweeten the pot. Meaning, if
Mardi Gras, flyin’ beads and boobs,
beignets, drinking and dancing in the
streets, endless raw oysters, crawdads,
blue crabs, shrimp, po-boys, bourbon
and Bourbon Street haven’t already
lured you to Louisiana, then this one
should tip you over the edge. In addition to the 24/7/365 party that is New
Orleans, now add incredible flyfishing
for big (as in world-record big), bruiser,
trophy redfish, and lots of ‘em.
Perhaps you’ve heard the rumours.
I had too, but as a BC steelheader,
frankly, redfish don’t often even register
on the radar up here so if not for some
great fishing buddies of mine from
Corpus Christi, and another dedicated
steelheading friend who hails from, of
all places, New Orleans, I may have
remained ignorant to all of this. But
thanks to persistent prodding by these
and other fine fishing friends (as in, the
editors of this rag), a redfish rendezvous
was something that was on my books,
and a recent stroke of fantastically good
fortune finally made it a reality.
It turned out that Captain Gregg Arnold had a cancellation in the absolute
peak of prime time for trophy redfish.
That was the crazy good fortune part,
and even a redfish rube like me recognized it. Arnold, for those of you
obviously not as down with the Redfish
Nation as yours truly, is the undisputed
Big Man on the Biloxi Marsh - Mr.
World-record Redfish Guide himself.
Gregg has guided seven IGFA fly
caught, world record redfish, and holds
numerous state records to boot. So, if
you want to fish the really big bull reds
of the Biloxi (which you do) you also
want to know this man.
“Forty feet in four seconds.” As a redfish
virgin, I got all kinds of advice from
my more experienced pals but this little
pearl offered up by Deeter was the one
that stuck in my head, playing over
and over as Capt. Gregg ran us out in
his Hell’s Bay skiff deep into a vast,
sprawling maze of marsh grass and
mud flats to a place he calls “The Land
of Giants.” Here, according to Kirk,
if I could just cast forty feet in four
seconds, I might just be able to hook up
with what might even be a world record
redfish. Wouldn’t that beat all?
Now Gregg would probably tell you
that while I could cast forty feet in four
seconds, it was often in the wrong direction. Spotting the targets proved to be
my main challenge at first, but I like to
think that I improved somewhat over
the four days we fished. Gregg might
beg to differ, but during my time there,
these were the highlights. Tim Romano
(the supposed photographer on this
gig) and I on one afternoon caught and
landed no less than a dozen redfish
none of which were under 20 pounds. I
not only busted my redfish cherry here,
15
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU: Something new and different for your
customers vis a vis an affordable, exotic experience… and ample
outfitting (gear sales) opportunities plus referral fee.
Travel Highlight
The Bulls of the Biloxi Marsh
– Trophy Redfish in Louisiana
CURRENTS
but somehow also managed a 28 pounder. As they say, even a blind pig finds an
acorn once in awhile. Travis Holeman,
of Holeman Brothers fame, fished with
us one day and landed a redfish we
estimated to be near 40 pounds – that’s
world record class. And finally, Timbo
dredged up “The Swamp Donkey,” a
complete toad of a black drum which
weighed in at a whopping 51 pounds.
And those were just the high points.
If you haven’t been to New Orleans, or
fished redfish, do yourself a favor and
put a trip on your calendar now. Winter
in Hopedale is the best time for the big
bull reds, which works out well since
most everything else in the country is
out of prime season. Unless you’re on
some kind of a weight loss program, or
don’t like having countless shots per day
on trophy sized fish, New Orleans won’t
disappoint. Contact Captain Gregg
Arnold at 504-237-6742.
Follow-Ups
“Having never been to a flyfishing DVD
showing at a theater or college campus
rec center, I can’t comment on how these
events might recruit new flyfishers to the
sport. Though I can say with a pretty
high level of conviction that DVDs such
as “Why Fly Fishing” by Jeffrey Pill and
The American Museum of Fly Fishing
or Joan Wulff ’s or Mel Krieger’s casting
16
We also heard from Bill Leuchten of
Front Range Anglers in Colorado, on the
issue of manufacturers selling product
directly online:
“I don’t know of any other industry
in which the manufacturing companies can successfully pull this off and
not have a complete boycott from
the retailers. After all, the retailer has
invested in, allocated retail space for,
and promoted their product. In most
industries I’ve been involved in, the
retailer would drop the product line
like a rock if they caught the manufacturer poaching their customers.
I think most fly shops are not aware
of the manufacturers who provide
product directly to their customers.
Or they are aware and just don’t recognize the problem with it. A manufacturer has to make a decision when
they enter any marketplace: Is the end
user their customer, or the dealer/
retail outlet their customer? They
can’t have both or else they become
the dealer’s competitor. Manufacturers going after the retailer’s customers
and successfully doubling their margin will be the end of the small shop.”
In this regard, Angling Trade will follow
up with a feature in a future issue, and
we invite feedback from all sides; please
contact us at [email protected].
Access Issue Update
Thank you for the many poignant responses to out last issue focused on water
access. In follow up, the Salt Lake Tribune
recently reported on a bill introduced in
the Utah State Legislature by Rep. Ben
Ferry, R-Corinne, that would effectively
quash a Utah Supreme Court ruling
in favor of public wading access on the
state’s rivers and streams. Under the bill,
sections of only 14 rivers would be designated open to recreational use by anglers.
Also, Angling Trade regular Ben Romans
also flagged a story reported in the
Missoulian that outlined how a bill by
Montana state Senator Rick Laible,
R-Darby, aimed at redefining the terms
“natural” and “natural water body”
could ultimately limit stream access in
that state. Please stay tuned to these
issues as they unfold and look for further
updates in Angling Trade.
Coming Soon to Your Shop?
The “Undercover Angler”
They’re Still
Flying in Jersey
“If there’s a recession going on right,
you’d never know it.” Those were the
exact words of Hatch Reels owner John
Torok on Sunday, January 25th—the
final day of the Somerset Fly Show in
New Jersey. Looking down aisles, I had
to agree. Vendors were busy chatting,
attendees rummaged through bins of
leaders and tippet, and outside, despite
the 17-degree temperature, consumers
crunched across the snow to test-cast
rods on the lawn. Torok makes what are
arguably some of the finest reels on the
market, and they don’t come cheap, but
he claims his time at Somerset was well
spent. “We’ve had tremendously good
days here this year,” he said. “The attendance has been outstanding.”
Steve Krewson, Director of Operations
for Hardy & Greys, was equally excited.
“We’re rockin’. Hardy’s new clothing line
is flying off the rack, and we’ve already
signed up 110 dealers to carry Hardy and
Greys products,” said Krewson.
Ray Cote, of Massachusetts-based
Cote’s Fly Shop, has had a corner booth
at Somerset for 17 years. He too was
pleased with the full aisles this year, but
noted that he was selling more tying material than rods or reels. “I just think that’s
because it’s cheaper,” he said. “People are
buying, but not big-ticket items…at least
not from me.”
If Cote’s booth is for the Joe-average fly
angler, Dennis Klein’s serves the upper
echelon. The owner of Mystic fine flyfishing equipment, Klein is distributing
Khan reels, some of which feature fresh
flowers with aluminum stems epoxied
onto the face. The vintage look and feel
of these reels is appealing to a certain
strain of long-rodder, and according to Klein, that strain is the bamboo
lover, who has apparently been grabbing
enough Khans at Somerset to keep
Klein happy.
While it was encouraging to see a strong
turnout and upbeat vendors, the buzz on
the floor was that Somerset’s sister show
just a week earlier in Marlboro, Massachusetts, left much to be desired.
“Between tying flies, I was literally
snoozing in my chair at Marlboro,” said
renowned saltwater fly guru Dave Skok.
But at Somerset, he managed to give me
that quote between questions from those
surrounding his booth to watch him tie
his famous Mush Mouth.
If there was a particular type of vendor
sitting around looking at bit bored, it was
those there to drum up guide service
business. I noticed plenty of Costa Rica
and Alaska fly DVDs playing on loops
with no one watching. Perhaps consumers are spending more on rods and reels
because they’re not planning to travel this
year. Or maybe no economic crisis will
stop fly gear junkies from shelling out.
Mark Howard drove over two hours from
Delaware to get to the show. “I love to fly
fish the salt,” he told me. “Money might
be tight, but what better place to stop
thinking about money problems then out
fishing?” I’d have to agree.
industries face. In fact, in an almost
uniformly crappy economy, I’d say that
one of the best niches to be in might
be flyfishing, and I can say that with a
straight face.
- Joe Cermele
If you were an exhibitor and were disappointed at ISE, you might need a deeper
reality check to help plan ahead. If you
were expecting people to ride that elevator
up to the show floor and start peeling off
hundred dollar bills, maybe you need a
new outlook.
Related to the Undercover Angler
report of the Somerset Fly Fishing
Show, here is Angling Trade’s take
on the recent ISE show in Denver...
At the recent ISE show in Denver, my
buddy John Barr grabbed me by the
shirt cuff and said, “You know why I like
you KD… you are the eternal optimist.
When everyone else in the business is
wringing hands, you have something positive to say.”
He might have been implying that I
should screw the cap tighter on my head
cement, but I still consider that tall praise
from a guy I really like.
I truly don’t think a little optimism is
misguided. Heck, as Barr said that
to me, we were being smashed into
the Sage booth by throngs of people
packed into the aisles. People hungry
for the outdoors. Granted, I don’t
know the numbers for certain, and I
don’t know how many rods, or exotic
Alaska adventures got sold there. But
I do know, judging from the filled audiences at the Fly Fishing Theater, that,
at the very least, information was sold
at record levels.
Where there is interest, there will eventually be sales. Where there are sales,
there can be profit. We’re far from
the doomsday scenario some other
Why? Because for the price of taking
your kids to the movies, you can still
take them to a lake or river and fish.
And throughout American history, as
the economy has dipped, people have
clung to traditional pursuits like the
outdoors. The experience on the river,
or the lake, is as valuable to people now
as ever it has been. It’s probably more
valuable to them now.
I don’t know that those days are ever coming. But already this year, the people were
there. They bought stuff. Maybe not
your stuff.
My grandfather who farmed used to say
a drought can kill the farm, but a crop
shouldn’t. Meaning if the market price
on soybeans was trending down, it was up
to you to rotate to a different crop.
The fact that ISE Denver was filled with
people only underscores that the “base”
(at least in this part of the country) is
indeed alive and well. There is no catastrophic people drought.
From where I stood, ISE benefited from
the amped-up flyfishing presence in Denver, and flyfishing, as a sport, benefited
from ISE.
We can all do better, no doubt. Times are
still tougher than they have been in years.
But what I saw made me made me feel
more motivated to stop the hand wringing
and worrying, and make plans to capitalize on opportunities ahead. at
- Kirk Deeter
17
In response to the December 2008 Angling
Trade (Tom Bie) article on digital media
(video) in flyfishing, Fly Rod & Reel associate publisher Joe Healy wrote:
videos/DVDs do more to help prospective fly fishers enter our sport than a
sequence on fishing in Mongolia might.
DVDs are entertaining, no question.
But let’s also not forget how books and
magazines such as Fly Fisherman, Fly Tyer
and Fly Rod & Reel (to name three of the
largest-circulation titles) have recruited
folks to the sport, and have raised our collective skill and experience level, for several decades. And as a rejoinder to Tom
Bie’s call for DVD or film-tour sponsorship: when flyfishing industry folks want
to target truly large numbers of new fly
fishers and impassioned long-time anglers
with their marketing messages, magazines remain the top choice.”
feature
Replace
Yourself
Why introducing new anglers to our sport is good for business, good for fishing...
Written by Jay Cassell
I recently read a piece by Joan Wulff, called “The
Evolution of a Fly Fisher.” In it, Joan describes all of
the stages we go through as anglers. We can all relate to
them, so let me repeat them here.
As Joan observed, all beginners want to do is catch as
many fish as possible. Once an angler gets through that
stage, the next level is trying to catch the biggest fish.
After that, many of us try to catch the hardest or most
difficult fish.
Stage 4 is on giving back to the sport. It’s all about
getting involved in conservation and preserving our
heritage. Stage 5 is simply about getting out there,
about enjoying yourself wherever you happen to be
fishing at the time.
JO!UIFPSZ-!UIJT!TIPVME!CF!FBTZ/!
Stage 6 is where Joan really hit the nail on the head, as
this concerns replacing yourself. “This is about bringing
young people into our sport,” she wrote. “Unless we
do this, our sport will be diminished, first in numbers
of anglers and then, with fewer anglers working to
preserve the habitat, in quality.”
In a nutshell, if we want to preserve the sport we all
love so much, then we’d better not sit back and hope
that other folks do it. If you’re a retailer and want
your business to grow, this takes on a deeper meaning.
Successful businesses don’t only sell more and more
gear to repeat customers. Truly profitable stores also
sell equipment to new anglers. Once a beginning angler
buys gear from you, and walks out that door a satisfied
customer, there’s an excellent chance he’ll come back
again. So the question is, how do you get that new
customer in the first place?
Teaching Kids
It starts with teaching. I live on a 30-acre lake 50
miles north of New York City. The lake is loaded
18
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Photo by Steveperih.com
with bluegills, stunted largemouths, some pickerel
and perch. When my wife and I first moved there,
I used to go down there with a 6-weight outfit and
a Muddler Minnow and just catch bass after bass.
Hooking 10 on 10 casts was not unusual. Not seeing
any kids fishing was also not unusual. So, we devised
a plan. After getting permission from the community,
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feature
we put up notices that there would be
a kids’ fishing derby on the lake on
the Saturday morning of Memorial
Day weekend. The community
offered to put on a barbecue after the
tournament, which was more than we
could have hoped for.
We scrambled after that, and got
Zebco to lend us 50 rods and reels. We
then got a tacklebox maker to donate
some boxes for prizes. The local
went on and on. We even gave out a
Most Innovative Technique award.
The grand prizewinner was a 10year-old girl who caught a 16-inch
bass! She walked away with a nice
Plano tacklebox.
A couple of key things happened
that day. A sunny day with lots of fish
certainly helped. But we were there,
with some helpers, baiting hooks,
giving advice, helping out, make a big
Teaching kids might be a daunting task
if you’ve never done it before. I asked
Lefty Kreh, the ultimate teacher, how
he teaches youngsters.
“I’m convinced that you can get even
3- and 4year-old kids interested in
fishing, but it has be with closed reel
spinning gear. And they must be able
to catch fish,” Lefty told me. “The
perfect place to start is at a local farm
pond teeming with bluegills; size
doesn’t matter to youngsters, they just
want to catch fish.
“It’s all about keeping their attention,”
Lefty continued. “Try teaching 5- to
9- or 10 year-old kids flycasting while
a dog is chasing something in the park
and you’ve lost them. The key is to
keep the teaching periods brief. Any
time they indicate they are tired of
it--or they want to catch butterflies or
chase the family dog--stop fishing.
tackle shop, Bob’s, gave us three gift
certificates, a couple of hats, plus a flat
of worms. We bought hooks, bobbers,
and split-shot from them, and made up
a sign thanking Bob’s for his support
and urging derby participants to buy
their gear from him.
The night before the derby was crazy.
You ever try to string up 50 spincast
reels in one sitting? Oh, and don’t
forget that nightcrawlers are called that
because they crawl in the dark. After
that first year, we left the garage night
on all night. We went to bed totally
excited for the 9 a.m. start.
The next day was sunny and warm,
and we had almost 65 kids show up.
Parents whom we had never met
came down to fish with their kids.
Everyone was fishing and catching
fish, so much so that we had to make
up awards on the fly. By the end of
the morning, we had given out First
Fish, Biggest Bass, Biggest Bluegill,
Most Fish, Smallest Fish…the list
20
deal of every fish caught. It was work,
but what gratifying work. There were
smiles all around.
Looking back, setting up that derby
was easy. And, once the momentum
was there, it was simple to keep
the tournament rolling. In fact, it’s
now going on its 20th year. I find it
particularly heart-warming when I see
young adults who started fishing in the
derby as little kids helping out today.
They also fish on other days. Mission
accomplished!
As a storeowner, you can do the same.
If you don’t live on a lake, contact a
local fish and game club and volunteer
to help out with their derbies. Get
involved in your community. People
will notice.
Lefty’s Take
Joan Wulff once told me that if
every fisherman could get just one
person into the sport, then our job of
replacing ourselves would be complete.
“I also encourage people to take
photos of their kids with their catches
and hang them in the house for others
to see. Like most people, kids like being
heroes too.”
Nick’s View
Nick Lyons echoes Joan’s view that
bringing more fishermen into the ranks
will ensure that there will be stewards
of our waters in the future. “Rivers
and lakes need friends, and passionate,
serious fishermen are always those
in the forefront of protecting the
watersheds that hold their quarry,” he
told me. But then he also confided that
he has ulterior motives for introducing
youngsters into fishing.
“I very much wanted some members
of my family to adopt my great
passion for fly fishing, for another
reason: I love them and wanted their
company, and wanted to share what
had given me so much pleasure over
most of the many years of my life. I
probably tried too hard. I probably
should have started them with bait
and bobbers, which is how I started,
instead of the more difficult fly fishing
that I had grown to love. But I think I
was too anxious. Several of my boys
fish, and can fish well, but they’re not
serious about it,” he concluded. But
there is hope.
“Been fishing?” I asked when I came
in the door.
“Yeah,” he answered in a typical
teenage monosyllabic response.
But that was okay, because I knew
he had come back. Since then, we’ve
been fishing together when it worked
for our respective schedules. We’ve hit
local lakes, done some fluke fishing
on the Atlantic Ocean, even went to
Alaska last year, where we both caught
sockeyes on flyrods. Now I’ve got a
fishing buddy for life.
Most important, I’ve replaced myself.
You should too. at
“I began my grandson, Finn, at 5,
in a bluegill pond, with worms, and
he’s very promising. I know he was
thrilled with what he caught and
my only worry is that there were
too many bluegills and it might
have been too easy. Still I have my
hopes. I have enough years left to
see him as a great companion and a
great champion of wise methods of
protecting our great fisheries.”
My Turn
I taught my son, James, how to
fish on that lake where we hold
the derby. I started him with a
spincast reel, bobber, and worms,
then moved on to spinning gear. In
summers, I’d make a point of going
down to the lake with him at least
one night a week. We’d catch bass
and bluegills, and just have a good
old time.
When James got into high school, he
got that attitude that many teenagers
get. If you’ve ever had a teenager,
you know what I mean. He knew
it all, and I was dumber than dirt.
At one point he told me he hated
fishing and hated to read—two
things dear to me. He was, of course,
establishing his independence.
We didn’t fish together for a couple of
years after that. It killed me, but I’d go
off on my own; didn’t even ask him to
go with me, after awhile. But one night,
I got home from work, and parked
my car next to his in the driveway. I
noticed a tacklebox and spinning rod
in the back seat.
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feature
After teaching fly casting for
several years now, I have found that
the line of demarcation is about 20
years old; younger than that and
the metaphors that I use to teach
fly casting are worthless. It must
be a sign of my aging process but
I am mystified that those younger
students who come to me for fly
casting instruction just don’t have
the worldliness to grasp onto the
tools that I have always used to
illustrate the dynamics of the cast.
When I teach the false cast, I want students to get
into a rhythm and to become aware that when
casting a shorter length of line, they need to have
a quicker casting cycle than they do with a longer
length of line. A simple concept but it sometimes
needs illustration to be grasped.
“Be like a metronome,” I advise my students, and at
this admonishment I am often met with an owl-like
stare. The eyes widen, and then blink repeatedly but no
awareness sets in.
“You know, the thing that sits on top of the piano and
keeps time”.
Am I Too Old
to Teach Fly Casting?
Written by Joseph Meyer
Nothing.
22
“But you told me you took music lessons!” Blink, blink.
Nothing. When a beginner asks me about casting lessons,
I tell them that it is easy to learn the basic cast. Kids pick
up on it easier than adults, especially those that have had
some musical training, so I always inquire about any music lessons that a prospective student may have taken. Yet
the wood pyramid with the brass pendulum that graced
the piano that every student plunked
away at is a foreign concept to younger
casting students.
“Well, if you don’t know what a metronome is how did you keep time?” They
reply that the device used during their
lessons was digital. Everything that
comes out of a teenager’s mouth is said
with that odd accent. Everything is di-gital. It’s the new Millennium.
So, we press on. I need to illustrate that
they need to come to a more definitive stop on their forward cast and I ask
that they pretend that they are swinging
a hammer. The scenario is this: they
need to drive a nail into a wall to hang a
picture. The big old brunette at home
always wants pictures hung at eye level
so I borrow her advice and tell them that
they need to drive the nail into the wall
at eye level. Further, they need to swing
a hammer big enough to drive the nail in
with one stroke. This illustrates that they
need to break their wrist at the very last
second to apply power at the end of the
stroke and come to a complete stop.
If they don’t break their wrist ever so
slightly, I explain, they will be pushing
the nail into the wall instead of driving
it in. I want to remind them that when
they are swinging a hammer, they normally do not hold it with a death grip
but just tightly enough to keep control.
It’s the same way with a fly rod.
This analogy works for me and has
worked with every student that I have
ever had who was older than twenty.
I was slack-jawed speechless when a
casting student told me that neither she
nor her brother had ever held a hammer. “Never?”
No, was her reply, they always had a
workman do that kind of thing.
I am blessed to own a fly shop in a Chicago suburb that is surrounded by nothing but luxury. This brings beginner fly
fishers into the shop and is an economic
boon to me. The downside is that the
feature
a softball throw, thereby lengthening their
casting arc and losing power instead of
gaining power. It typically happens when
casting for distance or casting into the
wind. The correct technique is to come
to a more complete stop on the back cast,
let the line unfurl behind you and then
apply more power to a complete stop on
the forward cast. Lefty Kreh describes
this as an acceleration to a stop.
younger students that I teach come from
homes where things are done for them;
they have people to do that.
of a Range Rover with a brush bar on
the front. Now it’s my turn to offer up
the Owl Look.
She told me not to yell at her, it’s
not like her family had a ranch and
she had to string barbed wire fences
all day. She and her brother lived in
Moneyville, for gosh sakes. This was
coming from a teenager who drove up
to her casting lesson behind the wheel
“Never, ever swung a hammer, have you
Punkin?” Pity.
Another common casting error that beginners (as well as an old fishing partner)
make is to reach back for more power.
When executing the back cast, they tend
to reach back for as if they were making
GET AWAY.
FAR, FAR AWAY.
The description works in theory but
needs illustration, and the next casting
student was a young buck of about 19.
I took the student’s fly rod away from
him, laid it on the ground and told him
that the fly rod on the ground is now
the line on the saloon floor and that
he would need to step up to the line to
throw a dart. I told him that instead of
a fly rod he now has a “pretend” dart in
his hand and I asked him to throw the
dart at an imaginary dartboard.
The next teaching step was to move the
imaginary dartboard further across the
saloon floor so that when he made his
next dart throw, he wouldn’t reach back
for more power, he needed to come to a
harder stop to get the dart to fly farther.
The first time I used this analogy, I damn
near broke my casting arm by patting
myself on the back is self-congratulation;
I was a genius in getting a point across.
From the 19-year-old I got that Owl
Look again, blink, blink. Not only had
he never thrown darts before but he was
truly confused about the concept of a
saloon. Here came the accent again.
“A saloon, is that, um, like a bar?” “No,
dude, a saloon is not, um, like a bar, it is
precisely a bar! It’s a comforting place
where aging, harried fly fishers go to
apply liquid salve to bruised egos after
trout have made fools of them. As part
of our therapy, sometimes we throw
darts. You should try it sometime, it
helps your casting stroke.”
~ FLOAT TUBES ~ RAFTS
www.outcastboats.com ~ 800.966.0976
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Sometimes I think I am getting too
old for this. at
Raised by an educator, Joseph Meyer loves
teaching out of his fly shop, One More Cast,
in Countryside, Illinois.
smithoptics.com/fishing lookgoodseefish.com 800.635.4401
THEY SAID IT
They Said It:
“
Five minutes after (photographing) a sow and 2 large cubs from
about 30-ft away, I was focusing on shooting the sow, trying to get
her head to fill the entire frame when I became aware of a draft on
my neck, it was one of the cubs behind me smelling my backside.
“
Interview by Will Rice
My closest near-death, fishing-related incident: Five minutes after shooting a shot of a sow
and 2 large cubs from about 30-ft away, I was focusing
on shooting the sow, trying to get her head to fill the
entire frame when I became aware of a draft on my
neck, it was one of the cubs behind me smelling my
backside. The same instant the sow woofed and the
cub squealed, the sow started coming out of the water
in a furry, wide eyed, I turned to run and tripped over
the other cub. I got up and ran fast.
Photo by Trish Gosch
Name and age: Terry Gunn, 53
Title: Owner - Lees Ferry Anglers Guides and Fly
Shop and Cliff Dwellers Lodge.
To earn a paycheck I: Guide fisherman on the
Colorado River at Lees Ferry; I am also a flyfishing
photographer.
The part of my job I love the most is: Two
things - 1) Happy fish 2) Spending quality time on the
crick with clients, sharing my knowledge of fly fishing
and watching people become better anglers.
The part of my job I hate the most is: 1) Unhappy fish 2) Grumpy customers! (Not necessarily in
that order but they often go together)
If I mysteriously came down with the avian
flu my staff would most likely find me fishing... Hopefully it would be the “winter variety”
of flu so I could hit the marlin migration out on the
banks off Magdelana Bay, Mexico. You will never feel
more alive than when racing around in a 10-ft zodiac,
chasing schools of marlin busting bait on the surface.
26
The last zone I fished that blew my mind that
I’m willing to talk about: Argentina - golden
dorado. I stayed on a private estancia, watched the
gauchos work cattle, drank good red wine and ate the
best steaks of my life.
The fish I lost that still haunts me: Several years
back Wendy and I were fishing the Kvichak River in
Alaska. We were anchored, fishing a seam and drop off.
I hooked a fish that ran straight away, no jumps, just one
long sustained run; I thought that it was a foul-hooked
salmon. I turned the fish and soon had him on the surface, about 30-ft away from the boat. It was the biggest
rainbow trout that either Wendy or I have ever seen, he
was considerably larger than the 34 1/2-in trout that
Wendy had caught the previous year. He was an old fish
and he was just hanging on the surface in the current...it
was a stalemate. Wendy suggested pulling the anchor and
driving over to the fish and netting it, I said no, and a few
moments latter the hook pulled out and the fish pumped
his tail and slid away. I wish I knew how big he was and
should of listened to my wife...again...
When I’m not working and not fishing you
might find me: Over-landing in my built Jeep,
camping, hiking, and spending quality time with my
wife Wendy, and seven-year-old son, Troy. at
‘Smaller?’ What fishermen in their right minds would ever say such a thing?
Well, actually... we do...
In fact, we’re very proud of Smaller... but before you think we’ve lowered our fish-size expectations, relax... we’re obviously talking about
Coefficient of Friction. And when it comes to fly lines and Coefficient of Friction – smaller is better – it means your line is slicker, and every
fisherman knows a slicker line is a better line.
The RIO Labcoats have achieved this amazing 15% reduction with our revolutionary XS Technology, a pairing of two entirely new chemical
compositions, creating a glass-smooth surface and a super slick coating that repels the accumulation of dirt and grime, and casts farther,
much farther.
But that’s only a small part of the Big Science going on at RIO. In order to develop the world’s finest fly lines, it takes the most technologically
advanced materials and manufacturing processes known to man, so we make sure The Labcoats have the finest of everything (and we nod
approvingly during their frequent R&D Sessions to the river). We hook our lines up to exotic machinery that tests slickness and we formulate
new copolymers to enhance durability. Our advanced tapers help with greater distance, improved accuracy, and softer presentations.
Proprietary coating technologies, like our inspired AgentX and SFT technologies, create a slick finish that lets your line float higher and shoot farther.
And with specialized leader and tippet materials for any presentation, we’re sure you’ll be pulling on more big fish soon enough.
So, why does RIO put such a huge effort into Smaller?
...because your fly line matters, that’s why.
www.rioproducts.com ©RPI, Inc. All rights reserved
feature
Patty Reilly… professor Pat Dorsey…
the dean of the flats, Bill Curtis…
Chuck Naiser… Gary Taylor… John
Flick… and a host of others. In my day job with Field & Stream,
I get dozens of E-mails and letters
related to the question, “How do you
find a really good guide?”
About 15 years ago, my wife’s cousins
Andrew and Liz Steketee and I started
a book project; we had no publisher at
the time. It was, truth be told, an excuse
to fish with great flyfishing guides. The
premise was that guides are the living
soul of the flyfishing world in that they
shape opinions and share knowledge as
much or more than anyone else. The
book did get picked up by a publisher in
2002, and became Castwork. A sequel,
Tideline, followed two years later.
And I tell them all the same thing.
“The great guide is the one who
makes you feel smarter—makes you
a better angler at the end of the time
you spend together.” In other words,
it shouldn’t matter how many fish you
catch. What matters is knowledge.
Sharing knowledge.
I still remember knowledge shared
by guides I’ve fished with… Dave
Faltings showing me how to use an in-
These book-writing experiences only
strengthened my belief in guides.
Wanna know what gear works best?
Ask a guide. Wanna know how to
cast best? Ask a guide. Wanna know
about political issues related to the rivers? Ask a guide.
Some manufacturers (Simms, Orvis,
and others) and retailers (Blue Quill,
The Fly Shop, and others) get that.
Yet, as a whole industry, we need to do
a better job of taking care of guides.
My Favorite Professors
Written by Kirk Deeter
Having not enjoyed a distinguished
academic career myself, I’m not
one of them. Oh, I did have some
great English teachers and professors who taught me how to put
words and stories together, and
I’m obviously grateful to them.
But there are other “professors” I
28
should thank for giving me insights
and knowledge that I still use
almost every day. Truth is, they
gave me the substance upon which
I have built an outdoor writing
career. They didn’t wear tweed
jackets and talk behind lecterns…
they wore waders, and worked riv-
ers… or they worked a push-pole,
and scanned the flats. Some of my favorite professors, it
turns out, are flyfishing guides.
Among them, Terry Gunn… professor emeritus of Yellowstone University Rusty Vorous… the esteemed
The difference between a great guide
and a good guide is teaching ability. I
remember a conversation with guide
Kea Hause, when he told me that he
spent whole work days just sharing information, without even wetting a line.
And I remember Steve “Creature”
I thought, “How odd… yet how smart.” Coulter telling me the best trout
fishing advice I ever got, as we were
Terry Gunn once told me what Lefty
chasing tuna 30 miles off the Cape
Kreh told him (and I’m paraphrasHatteras shoreline: “Fish like changes.
ing): “A great guide shares knowlKey on changes in current and strucedge… he just doesn’t demonstrate
ture, and depth, and you’ll find the
how to catch fish.”
fish… tuna, or trout.”
I worry that certain fly guides think
that scooping fish with their nets and
tying on bugs is where it all begins
and ends. And, granted, in certain
places, a guide can make a good living
doing just that. Add in a few colorful jokes, and the tip is a done deal.
Good for you… but that’s not good
for flyfishing.
I’ve taken up part-time guiding as
a moonlighting gig. And my goal
now for every day I’m on the water
is this simple piece of advice from
Gunn: Leave the people you fish
with with at least one thing… one
thing that they didn’t know when
they showed up and put their boots
on in the morning. That can be a
new fly pattern, a tweak on the cast,
a tip for landing fish, a bit of natural
history… anything. But give them
at least one thing.
That’s the only advice I have for other
would-be guides. Give them, at least,
that one thing. And it can come from
anywhere. Maybe the lady you took
out on the water yesterday had a
trick in her bag you didn’t know before. Maybe you read it somewhere.
Maybe you had a guide show you
something years ago. Maybe it’s an
old trick from your grandfather… but
pay it forward.
Because you never know who that
person you are fishing with is, or
what they might tell others... or
write. Old, young, novice or expert…
people ultimately remember their
favorite “professors.”
Especially in flyfishing.
at
29
Some folks look back on their distinguished academic careers, and fondly remember those sage purveyors of wisdom—professors—who shaped their lives… molded
their intellect… honed their critical thinking skills… and ultimately made them
the people they now are.
On the flip side, guides, as a group,
must understand that they are, when
all is said and done, ambassadors of
the flyfishing world. They are the difference makers. Guides will ultimately decide how well this sport endures
in the future.
dicator dry fly at Silver Creek… the
late Denny Breer telling me, “Time
on water equals fish.” I remember
Al Keller telling me to toss the trout
fishing “tip-up” thinking out the
window when it comes to playing a
tarpon on the fly. I hear Conway
Bowman tell me to “let big fish run,
and let the reel do its job.” I remember all the knots Patty Reilly taught
me. I remember Chuck Naiser’s
advice on casting in the Texas wind.
Pete Cardinal… let the bad cast ride.
Amanda Switzer… play the breeze.
Tim Mosolf… set the hook on instinct, not feel. Guides’ influence is seen every day on
the water. When I fish Cheesman Canyon in Colorado, and see a fluffed-out
brown yarn indicator, and I know that
angler is thinking about whether or
not to add a “fuzz” more lead, I know
that’s a Pat Dorsey disciple.
feature
background, you can learn something
from each of them. Present yourself
as a student of your craft, not a knowit-all authority feeding your ego with
every word you speak.
Jeff Wagner’s
Top 10
Teaching Tips
Written by Jeff Wagner (of course)
Communicating the ins and outs of flyfishing is one of the
most important aspects of making a sale. Knowing how
to present the information to make it educational is the
key. Here are the top 10 things to think about. Are you…
Positive?
This doesn’t mean gushing with fake enthusiasm, but few people learn
from a negative approach. Be constructive in your corrections and you
will see a greater return from your time and energy.
Substantive?
You would think that teaching and learning would go hand in hand,
but it’s amazing how presenters can talk for long periods without saying
anything. Know what information you want to say and say it.
Planned and Structured?
Knowing what information to present is important. Having a plan to
present the information is just as important. The best information in
the world can be lost if you are disorganized. Write it, read it, review it.
Then have someone else review it, then review it again.
Concise?
Make your explanations clear and to the point. Can I be any more
concise?
30
Responsive and Flexible?
Watch your students if they are
getting glassy-eyed, and make
a change in your approach if
necessary. Your elaborately
designed informational posters
may need simplicity instead of a
designer with an art degree. At
times, you may just need to take
a 10-minute breather, allow the
onlookers to sip some of the coffee
you, of course, have on hand.
Humble?
A teacher that believes they have
nothing to learn knows little worth
teaching. Remember, each person
in the audience has a different
Functional Accessories to Protect
Your Larger Investments
Confident?
Have confidence in what you are
teaching and your students will have
confidence in you. Be prepared,
practice your presentation, refine
your writing, and perfect your
performance.
Respectful?
Respect your students and they will
respect you. Sounds contrite, but it is
true. Differing opinions, backgrounds,
and beliefs will abound in any teaching
format. You can acknowledge such
opinions without taking credit away
from you or your material.
Comfortable?
People learn better when they are
warm, dry, and in a position that
allows them to concentrate more
on what is being presented than the
condition of their derriere. Keep
in mind, most of your students
(especially the ladies) will want to
know where the bathroom is almost
as much as where the trout are.
Accommodating?
People learn in different manners.
Know how to present information in
many ways, be it knot tying, fly tying,
casting, rigging, or layering clothing.
People learn by feel (kinesethics),
by sight (visual), and by hearing
(aural). When putting together
your material think about how you
can allow students to experience
the information in each way, thus,
expediting the learning process.
Editor’s Note: Jeff Wagner is a respected
outdoor writer, industry insider with sales
rep and guiding experience, and an FFF
Certified Master Casting Instructor, and
AT’s resident teacher. at
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OPINION EDITORIAL
I’ve Learned...
Written by Monte Burke
…that solitude has become paramount to me on the
stream and having it is sometimes more important than
catching a big fish. Flyfishing is an environmental movement of the mind.
…that sometimes mixing fishing friends
doesn’t work out well. One autumn I
invited a guy I had met in New York
City—a New Canaan, Connecticut-native and a member of the Anglers’ Club
of New York—to fish the Housatonic
River with me and my friend Charlie,
a high school classmate of mine from
Alabama. North and South mixed about
as well that day as they did in Antietam
in 1862. The New Canaan guy (NCG,
for short) was relatively new to flyfishing
but had all the accoutrements: a brand
new Winston attached to a Hardy, and
a deerstalker hat straight from Sherlock
Holmes. Charlie had his father’s old LL
Bean rod, a Pflueger Medalist and big
black wad of tobacco tucked in his cheek.
All was fine when we were on the water,
each of us enmeshed in our own thoughts
and casts. Not so off the water. As
Charlie and I sat at a picnic table,
NCG emerged from the river and
reported that he’d “topped” his
waders. He said it with just the hint
of a British accent. “Do you mean
you fell in, dude?” asked Charlie,
casting the first hairy eyeball of
many that day.
After lunch, Charlie put in another tangly wad of chew and sat
against a tree like some backwoods Piscator, gazing out over
the water. “Man, have you ever
lost your favorite hat?” he asked
of no one in particular. “I mean,
gaaawd, I lost my favorite damn
hat this week and it pissed me off
to no end. I felt like an old friend
had gone up died on me.”
I knew the hat to which he
referred. It was an old black
baseball cap that he always wore
backwards. On it was the logo
from our high school. I’d rarely
seen him without it in the six
years since we’d graduated. The
sweatband inside the front of the
hat had started out white. The last
time I saw it, it was as black as the
rest of the hat.
NCG chuckled and replied: “Oh,
yes. Yes. One time I did indeed lose
my favorite sailing jacket. It was
from the America’s Cup, a splendid
Murphy & Nye that my parents
had acquired for me in 1983. They
were on the observation boat in
Perth, you see. And some bastard
just stole it from me. Some…
barbarian.” Charlie just sat there.
Chew spit gathered in the corners
of his agape mouth. He stared at
NCG like he was an alien.
32
It went back and forth like this for
a while. Charlie would talk about
the “frickin’” awesomeness of the
University of Alabama’s 1992
defensive backfield. NCG would
bring up the magical undefeated
1989 season of D-III Williams College.
Charlie would mention spring break
and bikinis in Myrtle Beach. NCG
talked about “summering” in Block
Island. Wrenchingly caught in the
middle, I quickly suggested we get back
on the water.
Since then I have enjoyed being on the
water with both Charlie and NCG. But
never again at the same time.
…that the Henry’s Fork, though
perhaps not what it once was, is still an
awe-inspiring place.
…that, for whatever reason, I fish
better when I hit the river by myself.
When alone, I fish “slower” (that is,
with greater patience). That said, in
general I have more fun when there’s
someone there to share the day…and
listen to my bragging.
…to appreciate the gentlemanliness
of Atlantic salmon fishing, where it’s
common to rest a pool, an individual
fish and even yourself for a few hours
between morning and evening fishing
sessions. In these days of centerpinning, lip-ripping and general poolpounding, that’s pretty cool.
…that catching a dozen bluegills on a
yellow popper on a soft spring evening
in Alabama is pretty tough to beat.
…to be careful around bonfires. A few
summers ago, I was writing a profile
about a big business honcho. I met the
VIP at his fantastic Atlantic salmon lodge
in Quebec, located on the mouth of
the river. One evening after fishing he
decided that we would have a bonfire
on the beach and ordered some of his
lackeys build it. They went nuts: the
bonfire was absolutely huge, flickering a
few stories high into the pitch-black sky.
The VIP and I sat on a log and drank
scotch and beer and shot the bull, never
once shifting our gazes from the mesmerizing bonfire. After a long while, the VIP
suggested it was time to turn in. I agreed
and stood up and—for the first time in
what seemed like a few hours—I took my
eyes off the bonfire. When I tried to take
a step, the world suddenly went upsidedown, the result of some combination of
the pitch-black darkness, the booze and
the staring into the flickering fire. The
only thing I remember from my dizzying
descent was praying that I wouldn’t land
in the bonfire. I ended up face-first in the
thick white sand on the beach. I dusted
myself off for a bit and stood up. I was
completely embarrassed (I was on assignment, after all) and was rummaging
through my head for an excuse…when
I realized I wouldn’t need one. Because,
just on the other side of the fire, I saw
Brouwer Graphic Design
Designer of Angling Trade. Ads, Websites, Logos, Catalogs.
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303 901 5128
OPINION EDITORIAL
RECOMMENDED READING
…to carefully monitor the music I listen to in my car before
fishing because whatever I hear last is stuck in my head for
the whole day. One careless flip of the dial, and I’m stuck
with Celine Dion.
…that The Drake is the finest flyfishing consumer magazine
in the land. Founder/editor Tom Bie’s mission to focus on
the “why” and not the “how” has been a much-needed
breath of fresh air.
…that Internet flyfishing message boards are not immune to
the disease that afflicts every other Internet message board:
inevitably, they devolve into silliness.
the VIP flopping around in the sand like a beached bluefish,
laughing his ass off while spitting sand out of his mouth. The
episode didn’t make the story. But I’ll never forget it.
…that I have much more to learn about the dark art of effective nymphing.
…that gearing up beside the car before a day of fishing is a
very pleasurable act.
…that although I always prefer to fish with a dry fly, streamer
fishing from a driftboat can be a completely mind-clearing
act. Yvon Chouinard once told me that streamer fishing put
him into the same trance-like zone he used to get during his
early days as a blacksmith. Atlantic salmon angling and western Steelheading can get you there, too. So can certain drugs.
But this is a family magazine, so I’d recommend fishing.
Selection, Service & Value!
$29.95 SRP
Affordable impulse items
for anglers of all types and budgets
2 DVD SET:
…that you cannot beat Tom McGuane when it comes to
writing about angling. “If the trout are lost, smash the state,”
remains one of the more memorable lines from any nonfiction story I’ve ever read. And he opens a story called “Snapshots from the Whale” with this one: “I had as my guide that
day a young man who was perhaps retarded, and whom we
will call ‘Alfred.’” It’s impossible to stop reading after that
start. McGuane combines a breezy cadence with powerful
sentences, a neat trick. Reading and re-reading McGuane
should be a requirement for all of us “wannabe” writers.
Hardcover: $39.95 SRP
Use our Newsletter to
stock what’s hot and sell
more at better margins!
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2009 FISHING CATALOG
Fun & Games
Holiday Items
Mugs & Tabletop
Posters & Prints
Oven Mitts + Kitchen
Gift Wrap & Bags
…how to say “I’m sorry.” I’m sorry, Captain Frank, for
wrapping your brand new Sharkskin flyline around the prop
in your boat that day in Jamaica Bay when the stripers were
crushing bait all around us. Really, I am. And Charlie, I’m
sorry for impaling the back of your hand with that size-6
Dave’s Hopper on that ill-fated backcast on the Yellowstone,
then yanking the crap out of my line because I thought my
fly was stuck in a tree until I realized that trees don’t yell
like that; also I’m sorry about Murph the dog turning your
brand new Sage 6-weight, two-piece into a four-piece that
time on the Delaware. Paul, I’m sorry for nearly taking your
eye out on the cold spring day on the Main Stem. It was
James’ singing that distracted me! And Boss, I’m sorry for all
of those “sick” days I took during the spring, summer and
fall. That water sound you heard in the background during
my phone calls? That was just me filling up my tub for a
healing oatmeal bath. Really. at
Why We Suck isn’t exactly a feel good
title. Nor is it a flyfishing book, to
be sure.
legged blond chicks in hot pants and
halter tops were sneaking over the
border just begging to landscape our
lawns, every single senator would
be lining up to sign a bill not only
allowing them in—but making sure
their backyards got worked on first.”
But, having spent our last two
“Recommended Reading” columns
on flyfishing-specific books (Trash
Fish: A Life, by Greg Keeler, and
Angling the World by Roy Tanami),
we figured we’d buck that trend, at
least for a while.
And as much as I’d like to offer up
some poignant dictum on the cure
to America’s economic ills, well…
to my knowledge, that doesn’t exist
yet (I’ve been looking). So I’ve
decided to recommend the next
best thing… a laugh.
Dr. Denis Leary (yes, of course,
it’s that Denis Leary from “Rescue
Me” and standup comedy fame, the
“Dr.” reflects a real honorary degree
bestowed on him by his alma mater,
Emerson College in Boston) has
never been one to pull any punches.
He’s made a career out of saying
things we might be thinking, but
don’t have the gall to actually say.
This book is 240 pages of straight
talk that you’ll find refreshing, if not
downright hilarious.
Examples:
On George Bush Jr… “That’s right.
Junior. F@#* this Herbert Walker
blah blah blah bulls#*! Looks like a
junior talks like a junior walks like a
junior. Junior.
On the “does this make my
(behind) look fat?” question… “I
am convinced the burka was not
invented by some crazed Arab
hell-bent on following religions
conventions—it was just a hungry
husband who wanted to make his
dinner reservation on time.”
On media double standards, and the
Janet Jackson Super Bowl wardrobe
malfunction… “One brown t@*
sent everyone running for moral
cover while the phrase ‘an erection
lasting longer than four hours’ was
pummeled into the formative brains
of our tiny, little children.”
On illegal immigration… “I gotta
believe if Sweden was located right
below Texas and six-foot-tall long-
A word of warning. Those are the
tame excerpts from the book, and
they took a good hour of review
and scour to find. In that regard, I
should say that if you have an ounce
of sensitivity or political correctness
in your body, if you’re offended by
f-bombs and frank anatomy lessons,
walk, no run, the other way and
forget this recommendation. A book
with chapters including: “Your Kids
are Not Cute,” “Autism Shmautism,”
“Famous Dead Kids,” and “TesticleColored Towels” is probably not your
cup of tea. Or Chai Latte, as it were.
But if you just want something
that will make you laugh out loud,
this is some of the best comedic
commentary I’ve read in a long
time. Leary pulls off what only the
late great George Carlin (Napalm
and Silly Putty, When Will Jesus Bring
the Pork Chops) could do so well, and
that is make us open our eyes, think,
and then laugh… at ourself, at life’s
absurdities, even at its challenges.
And in my mind, given what we all
wake up and flip the television news
on to discover these days, a little
more thinking—and laughing—
might go a long way. It might just
make you feel good, after all. at
35
9.95 SRP
Poster: $2
50% Discounts
& Free Freight
all year long!
Reviewed by Kirk Deeter
BACKCAST
In an
economic
environment
whose
cornerstone is competition,
Dave Leinweber’s epiphany didn’t arrive by
express mail. More like carrier pigeon.
“Sometimes we make it really tough on people
to get started. The key is how easily we can bring
people into the sport.”
We mentioned Leinweber’s notion briefly in a
different context a couple issues back. Now for
the details as it pertains to instruction. The basic
premise is to make the intro as painless as possible,
$20 for an introductory class. If the inoculation
takes, then it’s $20 for casting and another $75 for a
day on stream.
Next, the loyalty dollars program comes into play,
a plan in which the customer gets $1 in learning
credit for every $10 purchase.
“He can use it toward classes, a guide trip, private
lessons, any service we offer. That includes a guides’
tying night, where customers can come in and
actually tie favorite patterns with the guide, who
keeps 70 percent of the money. It puts a little cash
in their pockets during the winter and builds value
and loyalty through learning.”
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Ah, allegiance.
“A specialty shop that doesn’t build loyalty goes out
of business,” Leinweber says flatly. “You’ll never
win on price, you win on loyalty.”
“For a long time, I thought about stuff like how
much business I’d be doing if that other fly shop
wasn’t there. It always was about fly shop wars,
bad-mouthing the other shop, bad blood because
of the opposition.”
At some point, his hating cap came off and his
thinking cap went on.
“I took a step back from the whole fly shop thing,”
said Leinweber, whose Angler’s Covey shop in
Colorado Springs is the largest in the region.
“Instead, of that other shop not being there, what
if the pie was twice as large.”
The way to bake that idea, he deduced, was education.
Real roll-up-the-sleeves, take-‘em-by-the-hand
teaching that makes things easy, both on the ego and
the pocket book. To achieve this, he came up with
something called “learning dollars.” The pigeon
had landed.
36
It helps that the shop has casting ponds just out the
back door, that learning-dollar lessons often lead to
expanded private lessons, that the client has to walk
past all that merchandise to get to the pond.
“If they use learning dollars for lessons and become
more enthusiastic fly fishermen, they may come
back and buy another rod. If they just go out and
get frustrated, I’m not growing my client base.”
Several hundred miles to the northeast, Chad Miller
faced a different challenge—not from another shop,
but from a fish, or rather a mindset.
“We want to teach people to fish, not just to cast or
even just to fly-fish,” Miller said from his Wildcat
Creek Outfitters in Zionsville, Ind., near Indianapolis.
“So many clients come in who have never fished
before. Not fly-fished. Never fished, period.”
Couple this with the fact that the prevailing
angling activity is stream fishing for smallmouth
bass and you understand why grassroots education
Revved Up Beyond the Norm.
BACKCAST
is at the epicenter of everything
the shop does. How Miller’s lessons
happen might surprise you.
“When we do a beginner school, we
actually take them fishing, not with
a piece of yarn on the end of a line.
We want to teach fishing. Casting
will come later.”
Another revelation: “The bass guys
who already know how to fish,
they’re the easy ones and my best
customers. All we had to do was
teach them to cast. That’s the easy
part.”Miller’s method is to teach
smallmouth fishing on rivers, other
warmwater species on lakes and
to use a general beginner class to
JULY 15-17
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funnel graduates into the first two
activities. The result is a steady flow
of customers eager to learn.
For a third teaching perspective, we
complete our bi-pod journey back
cross-country to Denver, where
Ethan Emery operates his Angling
University in a classic educational
mold. Emery’s day job is teaching
High School science, which gives
him particular insight into how the
learning process works best.
“We run the school like a guide
service, only with a focus on
lessons,” he said of a concept he
developed with partner Matthew
Burkett and now operates out of
Trout’s Fly Shop, with whom they
split proceeds.
“As a science teacher, I believe
people learn by doing, not just from
a lecture, as with most lessons.”
His techniques include “expert
groups,” wherein each student
becomes an expert on a particular
subject, then teaches that to his
fellow beginners. Another is an
“inquiry style” to discover the
student’s prior knowledge while
engaging them in the learning
process.
The result is to eliminate the
old lecture paradigm that often
produces more boredom than
retained information.
“Most beginners learn to fly fish in
one day,” Emery said.
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Another helpful element is that
Emery has no financial involvement
in a shop.
“We not luring them in to buy a lot
of stuff, just making it easy to get
them into the sport.”
Then they buy a lot of stuff.
The CPX Zip-front Wader
It’s a simple equation. Faster in-and-out of your waders means
more time fishing. The CPX Zip-front Wader makes your life a
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the durability of proven dry suit technology.
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- Charlie Meyers
"!)."2)$'%)3,!.$7!s7772%$).'4/.#/-
38
Save the Date
Reel Business Opportunities
FLYFISHING RETAILER IS ENDORSED
AND SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN
FLYFISHING TRADE ASSOCIATION.
SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2009,
COLORADO
COLORADO CONVENTION
CONVENTION CENTER
CENTER •• DENVER,
DENVER, COLORADO
COLORADO
FOR THE LATEST SHOW INFORMATION GO ONLINE TO FLYFISHINGRETAILER.COM

PDF - Angling Trade

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