Kiss & Tell Stories: The Underground Wants to Know How You Feel.
By Tom Chandler on Dec 18, 2006 in Opinion
The battle’s raging on the Washington Fly Fishing board about kiss-and-tell articles in fly fishing magazines (via Ass Hooked Whitey).
These are the destination articles that detail access points and tactics to fly fishing locations, not all of which can absorb much pressure.
How much pressure could this small alpine lake take? How much would an article generate?
Some view them as the ultimate sellout - and evidence of the fly fishing media’s willingness to place money above the well-being of the sport itself. Others feel they’re a reasonable exercise of editorial judgment.
I wrestle the “how much do I give away” decision often. And I’ve got my own ideas. But I can’t wait to hear yours.
So who’s right? Profit-mongering whores, or service to fly fishing humanity?
Technorati Tags: fly fishing, magazines
Tom | Dec 18, 2006 | Reply
Well if somebody finds the place then I think it is OK for THAT person to write it up.
Very possibly a STUPID thing to do but you can’t stop that.
Larry Swearingen | Dec 18, 2006 | Reply
As one who has relied heavily on the Stream Time maps to
get started in NorCal waters I think it’s a good thing.
I HAVE paid my dues over the last 6 years and 17 trips from San Diego though. I feel that I have personally
helped keep the Burger Barn afloat over that time. :>)
If more of these kiss-and-tell articles were written then it would spread out the crowds more. Or how about
this; just write about the hard-to-reach spots !
You aren’t going to get much traffic from fishermen if
they have to hike more that a quarter mile has been my experience. I used to day hike a few times a year over
Duck Pass from Mammoth Lakes area to Duck Lake. That’s about a 14 mile hike and 1500 ft elevation gain if you go around to Pika Lk. too.
In 5 or 6 trips I only saw ONE other person fishing and
he was a spin fisherman. I have been slowing down though and didn’t go over last year.
I do really enjoy seeing your photos and trying to figure out where you are on the river. It’s a looong
river and I certainly haven’t seen every mile of it.
Some of the runs look very similar to other spots
on the river too so it’s not a gimmee.
I’ll be up a few days after Christmas for Larry’s Big
Adventure XVIII and have to head home on New Year’s Day.
Back to work on Tues. morning.
Larry S
ijsouth | Dec 18, 2006 | Reply
I guess my vote would be for…it depends. There are a lot of factors involved. First of all, how easy or difficult is the access? If it involves a long drive, followed by a strenuous hike, that tends to weed out the meat fishermen. Also, what type of water is it? If it’s big water, or a well-known stream that is used to heavy pressure, then it might not be a big deal. On the other hand, using the above lake as an example, it might be best to refer only in terms of the general area. I guess the bottom line is, think of the resource first - if there is any chance of damage being caused to the stocks, then don’t give out the specifics.
It is very easy to clean out a specific area. Before they were banned in Louisiana about 10 years ago, gill nets would decimate whole sections of marsh - there literally would be no fish in a given area, for at least a month afterwards. Of course, that was commercial fisherman working an area, but of course, the same thing can happen far easier in a confined freshwater area, particularly if the fish are a bit unschooled.
Mariner86 | Dec 18, 2006 | Reply
Think of the billions of words written in the past 50 years of fly fishing magazines and books about thousands of places. Like another article about the Beaverkill or the Upper Sac is gonna drive hundreds of guys to a river. If Joe Schmoo posts that he fished Trout Lake or Trout Creek, is it gonna kill the area? not likely!!
kbarton10 | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Who writes about failure?
Every fishing article ever crafted is a testimonial to the skill and courage of the author.
“Bob and I saw the menacing torpedo in the water. Shaking, I tied on a #34 black lactating emerger and attempted to place it delicately in the path of the behemoth… the line drew tight and the adrenaline surge hit me just as the running line severed three of my fingers…”
Anglers are not created equal, the absence of a Hilton in Dunsmuir will exclude some of the crowd. Others will see a nice looking run of water in a photograph, and make a mental note to check out the place in the future. Under no circumstances do I believe that an article will trigger a mass migration.
The lure of the large fish is likely a bigger draw for the angling crowd. Citing something like, “…the average fish Bob and I landed was 46 inches” might bring some additional pressure. If the fishery is that good, it is likely getting hammered by the local salmon egg / cheese marshmellow crowd, and will not stand up to that pressure either.
Small spots that can be influenced by one or two additional anglers, should never be revealed. Enjoy them yourself, perhaps take the Trout Underground Doglike Object as a mute witness.
rriver | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
3 severed fingers? I hope that was a girl scout trip. Unless I lose an arm up past the elbow, I feel like I didn’t really have all that much of an adventure. Last week a guy I was fishing with lost one measley thumb. He was screaming like someone scratched his Hardy Bougle Agate or something. What a wussy.
And the #34 black lactating emerger works ok, but I hand make my own hooks in a size 40. I don’t gaffe my fish.
I’m going on a drift today with a highly recommended Montana guide named Eddie Brook. We are going to do the coffee pot on the Rogue.
- stumpy
Will | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
When I was but a pup learning to fish with my Dad in Maine, we would go to our favorite pond for wild brookies. Dad told me that the pond was called “Dinkywinkle Pond” so that I wouldn’t say to other anglers, “My Dad and I caught 50 fish this weekend at >!!!!” When I looked for it on the DeLorme map, Dad said it was so secret that the map didn’t even have it. I finally got suspicious when my Dad took me to “Periwinkle Pond”, also not on the map. I can just imagine the knowing smile/glare exchanged between my Dad and other anglers when I told them all about how well we did at Dinkywinkle Pond.
Will | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
The part where it shows: >!!! above should say “enter actual name here”. Not sure what happened there.
Capt Gordon | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Guy wrote an article and I posted too many pics and vids of my experiences chasing tailing redfish here in NC last summer. 3 local dudes went out and bought shallow water boats (that I know of) and now I have losers tailing me around and asking questions around behind my back as to where I am fishing. They are losers but I also brought this upon myself by trying to get a little more business for some summer cash. I NEVER have written an article about it and have turned down numerous other offers for some other fishing that I do that is more readily accessible to the average lunk with a center console around here. At least for what I am doing now you need a pretty specialized boat that isn’t any good for anything else and most guys need an all around boat.
Tom Chandler | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
My my, the Underground is awash in wit, erudition and opinion. Posts like those we’ve seen the last few days really make this thing worthwhile.
Makes me wonder if everyone isn’t hitting the Holiday Eggnog a little early. One hopes.
Hiding fishing locations is a time-honored tradition. I won’t make any bones about “protecting the resource” when I play the vague game in my reports. I just don’t want others fishing “my” water.
An ill-timed magazine or online report can have a big impact on a fishery. Witness what happened to the Trinity after Stienstra and a few others touted the big bite a couple years ago.
Wall-to-wall drift boats don’t make for a good time.
Anyone who gives up a small stream to a big circulation magazine should suffer the a sound whipping with the fast-action rod of the day.
Would it necessarily damage a fishery? Who knows. I do know it makes the fishery less desirable from a solitude perspective.
I concur with Gierach’s perspective: anyone who isn’t in my party is probably an asshole.
And the more witnesses there are, the fewer liberties I can take in my report (as the grizzly ripped my flesh, I expertly fought the 42″ trout on 9x tippet (using my new Sage 0-weight XYZ-tech rod as advertised on page 12) while with three remaining fingers on my other hand, I punched the bear in the nose and mixed a dry martini.)
A #32 Lactating Emerger? That’s just sooooo 2004. Old tech. Kinda embarrassing.
I’m sure there’s more to come.
rriver | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Tom,
Its needs a little more detail to be believable:
“With the three remaining fingers on my other hand, I delivered an upper cut to the bear that started from the far bank. The bear staggered, and a follow up hook put him down for good. I poured a Diaka Vodka dry martini and toasted the tenth 42 inch plus fish landed this morning as dawn broke above the forest.”
- rriver
Ed | Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Black lactating emerger is very, very funny. That fly does cry out to be nicknamed the Blacktater, though.
Tom Chandler | Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
You’re right, rriver. More is always better than less. And we both left out the part about the hot blonde waiting back at the campsite, but I suppose the article’s lead photo has to serve some purpose…
And Lactating Emerger is funny enough that I’m desperately looking for a way to steal the idea and claim it as my own. So far the best I’ve come up with is to imply that kbarton is simply an online alter-ego, which sadly isn’t the case.
pseudososa | Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
Yea gods, old boys! I’ve been tying the Lactating Emergers for YEARS! My patterns use the Cul de Canard feathers, of course. We ALL used to call them Cul de Canard feathers back in the day. Had time to do that, you see….no tv. No computers, and all that. But, I digress!
The absolute KEY to this pattern is…..the udder! Yes, yes. Must be placed correctly on the shank. Right color and all that. Pink, of course. Same colour as Tup’s Indespensible! The IRONY of it all!
Well, my ABSOLUTE favorite derivitive is the Guernsey Lactating Emerger Cul-de-Canard. White tail, alternating black and white sections on the shank, and, now of days, pink dubbing or, if you must, pink larva lace foam for the udder. With the foam, the fish ABSOLUTELY come up and sip the fly. Having your udder hang too low on the shank, however….will interfere with the hook set!
I have e-mailed Tommy with a rather shaky photo of the pattern mentioned above. Depending upon your area, the Harris Ranch CBA-CDC Lactating
Emerger MAY be a better bet. Use a rust brown thread and brown tail.
The CDC is always used for the foward “wing”.
Now, if one wants the ULTIMATE combination, use a genuine 10X tippet with this fly. The Varivas 10X is not truly a 10X size. I have found it necessary to place a 3 foot section of 7X tippet in my lathe and turn it DOWN to 10X! Yes, yes. Good stuff.
MISSING FINGERS! Ah, now we’re TALKING! Reminds me of the time fishing the Lourens River at Lourensford, R.S.A. Had a nice 3 pound brown on and bugger all! This damn Yellow Cobra comes swimming down the river right at me! Ah, those were the days!
Hopefully Tommy will post a pix of this most interesting pattern. Now that Mssr. Barton has let the so-called cat out of the sack!
kbarton10 | Dec 21, 2006 | Reply
As a vegan I cannot condone the use of greasy duck butt feathers… I prefer the “green” version, using a Soy base …this allows the lactose intolerant angler to use the pattern without untoward amounts of gas.
Tom Chandler | Dec 21, 2006 | Reply
Ahh, the Sustainable Lactating Emerger. Truly you are to be commended for your attention to the environment, though I do have to wonder why a vegan is fishing in the first place…
Ed. | Dec 21, 2006 | Reply
Please post a video of the 7X on the lathe getting turned down to 10X on YouTube. And do you find that when you turn it clockwise, the resulting 10X has more ‘memory’ than when turned counter-clockwise?
I’m reminded also of one of my favorite ‘Simpsons’ lines: “I’m a Class 5 Vegan - I don’t eat anything that casts a shadow.”
kbarton10 | Dec 21, 2006 | Reply
Actually, 10X tippet is available commercially under the “Black Widow” label. For $12.96, you get a small glass jar with a live (and angry) female Black Widow spider. Whenever you need more tippet, you unscrew the cap, reach in and grab the beast by the arse and yank.
Mine lasted a full season, largely because after the first attempt, I chose to use 20 lb braided squidding line on all my dry fly tippets.