At the Underground, we positively live for those moments when a small, local newspaper paper butchers a fly fishing related story.
Over the years, we’ve been subjected to countless “The First Time I Went Fly Fishing” stories at the hands of writers who clearly shouldn’t have gone (they can’t all be Freemans, sadly), but our favorite – nay, the very cherry on top of the reportage sundae – is the story about a local bamboo fly rod builder.
The Oregon Statesman Journal sent a reporter to interview bamboo rod builder Daryll Whitehead, who didn’t survive even the first line before being unfortunately described as the “Michelangelo of bamboo fly rods.“
Ouch.
The story doesn’t progress beyond the third sentence before we’re staggered by the Second Wince-Inducing Editorial Moment: The Dreaded Fly “Pole” Syndrome:
From a small home-based shop in west Stayton, Whitehead crafts some of
the most sought-after fishing poles in the world. His D.L. Whitehead
poles are sold on most continents and can fetch nearly $4,000 for a
used one.
Throughout the article, the writer goes on to use the “p***” word 11 times (fly fishing decency standards forbid me from printing the word again), perhaps a new editorial record.
The Underground sends our condolences to Mr. Whitehead – along with our hopes for a speedy recovery.
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Pole?
I think I’ve heard about poles.
Aren’t they those things in strip clubs?
What would Mr. Whitehead be doing in a strip club?
Don(Quote)
Nah…ain’t it a nationality? (From a guy with last name that mutated the last three letters from “ski” to “ske”.)
Patrick K.(Quote)
Hmmmm. This wouldn’t be an example of fly fishing snobbery, would it? No one in his or her right mind would ever call it a “fly fishing pole”, except maybe some ten year old kid who has done a little fishing with worms, a bobber and a “fishin’ pole”; and who wants to try out fly fishing. “Ok, kid. The first thing ya gotta learn is that it’s not a “pole”. It’s a fly fishing rod…that’s rod, kid. Got it?”
Wonder if you can successfully market a $3,000.00 fishin’ pole.
Kentucky Jim(Quote)
This is obviously a sign of improper upbringing. In a proper household if the “pole” was used to describe a rod, I would break a rod over his arse, then a pole – and whilst the tears streamed down them angelic cheeks I’d inquire if he’d learned the difference.
…and while most of you dial Social Services to denounce me as a beast, remember it won’t be my kid igniting kittens with lighter fluid, he’s been taught better…
kbarton10(Quote)
Sorry, I really don’t understand this, and yes it is purely a “language separated by continents” thing. I’m from England. We only say “rod”. When I bought a rod back from Texas last year, the nice men at customs kept saying, “Ya gotta fishin’ pole there, son?”, to which I replied “Yes, it’s a Scott rod” (which it was).
Is a pole not a rod? And if not, what’s the difference?
Yours, in confusion
J
Jolyon(Quote)
Don’t be so sure about that, KB. Of course, if he does light the kitties, I’ll cover for him.
J, I’ll let Tom sort of the subtleties of Left coast American English for ya.
Kentucky Jim(Quote)
Jolyon: A fishing “pole” is a stick with a string tied to it. Or maybe a spinning occasionally used to catch catfish. A $3000 piece of cooked, planed and varnished bamboo is a “rod.”
I suppose it’s a little like an American dropping in on a Manchester United match and commenting about how popular “soccer” is in England. They wouldn’t necessarily be stoned to death, but they’d immediately mark themselves as something less than a fan of the sport.
Tom Chandler(Quote)
Bad analogy.
Kentucky Jim(Quote)
Michelangelo of fishing poles? What does this mean, exactly? It’s made out of granite? It makes your arms fall off? (No; that’s de Milo, I think.) You have to lie on your back and cast over your head with the thing?
Makes me Really Glad I’m not a fly fishing
nutafficionado…The Chile Doctor(Quote)
Would a pole by any other name not cast as sweetly? I say not.
murdock(Quote)
I think Tom hit it on the head- it isn’t so much that the author of the article was “wrong” in the use of the “P-word” (first letter+”word” is how we swear in Utah…), but rather it indicated that the author doesn’t share the cultural lexicon essential to the subject that he has chosen to write about- and therefor detracts from the impact of said article by indicating that the author cannot possibly appreciate the object in question if he doesn’t even know what to call it…
Also- I used a lot of big words…sorry
Brett from Utah(Quote)