Wow! Talk about some elitist sounding snobbery! Fly fishing is already the only form of fishing that has water closed to only flies, now it would be a good idea to have it closed to only one type of lure? Guides who use nymphs and streamers are not using their heads?

I'm mainly a bass fisherman but if I'm throwing a topwater plug all day and not catching them and my buddy is pulling in a limit on a drop-shot rig I'm not going to sniff and tell him that he's not really fishing because he's not using the classic wooden plugs of yore, I'm going to start fishing a drop shot rig. Sometimes the fish won't hit a dry, so that makes it stupid to use a dry.

Anything short of dynamite that gets fish on the line is good for the sport.

Yeah I'm not buying into that one. Although dry fly fishing is great there are sometimes nymphing is just the ticket. Second you mention that using only dries would make us better entomologists, but how can that be true if we ignore the most important insect life stage? Lastly the first flies used were wet flies, so fishing under the surface really is "original" fly fishing in some sense.

I agree with previous posts, I'm not buying into this one. If you want to "challenge" yourself by using only dry flies, just use them. You don't need a regulation to force it on you.

If we outlaw beads and bobbers, who are we supremely noble and elitist dry fly fishermen going to be able to look down upon then?! The corn and crawlers guys are just too easy a target.

Once I've caught a few fish one way, I'm usually ready to try something else. It's part ADHD, part natural progression of fishing and learning in general. Let those new to fly fishing actually catch some fish - I think once most folks become proficient at catching trout on nymphs and bobbers they'll naturally want to try more challenging techniques. There's still plenty of fish and water for all to enjoy.

I really do not know where to go with this.

My first question would be, "Is dry fly fishing the classic method?". I will argue that wet fly fishing came way before dry fly fishing and should be considered the "classic" or "original" method of fly fishing. I just guessing but my guess is that some of the first fly gear into this country was carried over by the Scots and involved many patterns of salmon flies.

Deeter you are a tool. Plain and simple. You get paid to fish and write about it for a living. Try having a real job where you only get to fish once in awhile or when you don't get all your flies and equipment for free. Then talk to me. You are my hero because you can wear a $275 Simms fishing jacket and fish with dry flies. Look down on me because my rod, reel, and line costs less than your jacket and I'm using nymphs with an indicator. Maybe you should see what it's like when you can only fish maybe 1 or 2 times a month. Get lost

Challenge yourself if you want to, but the waters are everyone's. I prefer to bowhunt and am glad there's an extended season for it, but I don't think there should be Archery Only sections of the woods because I like the challenge and wish to either "enlighten" or exclude others. Maybe a catch and release dry-fly only season is a better option?

Flies like a Muddler Minnow can serve both purposes...fish it floating, and then strip it under, and fish it like a streamer. Maybe that is why Deeter is promoting binoculars on the river...for Game Wardens, that can observe a dry fly guy stripping his dry fly under, and fishing it like a streamer, and throw the cuffs on the dude. :)

Deeter...Fess up, you were after the nerves! And we both know there ain't nothin like catching a fish on a dry fly!!

Wow! Did Deeter create trouble this time! I took it as a spoof, as not even practical..why just dryfly? On my river, the SF of the Snake, the problem now is to get the fly guy to keep fish!..keep rainbows they say are hurting the cutthroat numbers. The fly guy, the serious ones, have been so indoctrinated into releasing fish they won't kill the rainbows even when the Game Dept puts a tag in them worth a $1,000 when you turn in the dead rainbow for inspection! I am one of them. Just had a guy I took in my boat who said his wife wanted him to bring home a fish, and I told him that would cost him a trip in the future. I do not kill trout from the river.

I tried, and I can't really find the sympathy for this idea.

But hey, I tried.

My fly rod and reel (bolth of them) don't cost half of what alot of this great gear that people that get paid big money to fish with free gear are using. But then again central Texas dosen't have alot of trout fishing opertunitys. Wait they have some in the decuration at the Cabelas! This is ridiculas to even think of bringing up. (even thow it seems the blogger that brought it up did so to make us all argue about and it worked)This is just another case of what I refer to as "people with to mutch money, not enouph sense, and to mutch free time.

headforthetropics,

Is it insecure to object to a hypothetical situation that further restricts waters to one very particular type of fishing?

I suspect if the proposition was "Is it time the (insert body of water here) was posted Size 3/0 or greater circle hooks only?", you'd have something to say about the ridiculousness of waters being essentially denied so many decent and hard working fly fisherman. I would have to agree with you.

I prefer dry fly fishing - actually find it easier than nymphing. Still takes knowledge about the life cycle of bugs to do it well. Bummer if the rules change and I "run out" of floatant and my dry goes for a swim.

Hate to jump on the bandwagon, but, like many others, I take issue with this post. For one thing, I don't find dry-fly fishing to be more challenging than nymph fishing. Usually the opposite. For another, when fish aren't looking up, dry fly fishing is a waste of time (assuming your goal is to catch fish, as mine most certainly is). And I haven't even gotten into how a dry-fly only regulation would be enforced, which boggles the mind with creepy Orwellian scenarios. Finally, I really cringed at the "expanding horizons" idea. Isn't that a bit condescending?

I will admit, and have no problem doing so, that I like my strike indicator/bobber/old-man-sight. Like what Jacksjb was talking about, do what you have to do to make the experience an experience. I don't play by anyone else's ideals but my own so with that said I say sling what you have and adjust if necessary.

As far as private waters goes, I have never understood why there were such things. That was until Wednesday. We have fished a lot around the eastern side of CO and I have yet to see the size and quantity like what we seen on Wednesday anywhere else. I say this, if Golf can have private clubs so I don't see why people have a problem with private fishing clubs.

All complaints, send to Koldkut~!

Deeter, You know it is a bad idea you scoundrel you !! Why not just make it a law that you have to use one of your surgeons knots, and then catch rates will be limited? :) And there aren't a lot of "fly only" waters. There are "floating nymph" flies you also know.

Oops, I forgot about the first post. Though the logic strikes me of asking Michelle O to outlaw my cheeseburger because it's just so much fun I'll pass on the celery. I think we're watched enough thank you, and I propose to police my own habits.

hey all - read the posts and thought I'd add one more thing: you're a pretty insecure lot and you've pretty much embarassed yourselves. I don't 'look down' on the infidels who use streamers (I use 'em myself - often) - even during the few times I am strictly DF fishing. Beyond this, who bloody cares if a dry-fly snob looks down upon us dull normals? WHAT a bunch of whiners! Really, go out & buy a big ol' barrel of self-esteem & grow up. peace!

Sayfu, You are right. (again). I was so taken back by this blog I totally lost focus. Not to mention I was hip deep into work while typing.

Deeter, Dry flies is one thing, but using rubber legs on your dry flies?. Shame on you. Might as well put "Smelly Jelly" in your fly floatant. :)

All good comments, and good arguments on this thread. I've always said nymph fishing is 3-D fishing, and as much as we love the rise, dry fly fishing is only 2-D... But who here is going to throw down and say nymph fishing is "top of the game?" Who will contend that the guy using a bobber and beadheads is a better angler than the person who can hook them on the dry? Who wouldn't trade 20 bobber strikes for one classic dry fly eat in the film? Be honest...

jamesti, I don't think of it as "rules" just individual groups of fly anglers that have opinions about what is the most pleasurable way to catch fish. Most fly anglers release fish anyway to fight another day. It is, for them, all about enjoying themselves, but why tell others how to enjoy themselves right? If I called a guide, and said that me and my buddy want to take a guide trip, and it will cost us in excess of $500 a day when including the tip,(that's the fee on my river), I want to dry fly fish, not cast a bobber, and nymph. But that's my position, others can have their way of fishing.

ajb, It isn't more challenging necessarily, and you are right, a stupid suggestion. But I can say that dry fly fishing is MORE FUN! I can take any one on a float trip, and have them casting big dries down a fishy looking bank, and when that big head comes up to eat their fly, ....no need for drugs. It is a rush of adrenalin! I defy any one of them to park the boat, get out, and catch one on a bobber and nymph, and say it was as much fun!..nothin like seeing that fish come up and eat the dryfly! On top of that if you enjoy casting a fly, it is more pleasurable to cast a dry than cast a bobber and nymph.

This is so amazing. I would love to read more of this sort of post and do let me know what you think about my link since I have based some of my writings on your site as well. More like an inspiration so here is the link http://www.sammaka.com/ Thanks ahead and have a great day :)

MLH..You're on the right page, and have progressed into that small, select group of proficient fly anglers. You may have to stretch the life of your floatant it looks like. Melt it down, and add some shrimp oil maybe. :)