Still, when Donnie Beaver enters into the equation – the much-disliked “entrepreneur” who has repeatedly tried to illegally bar public access to public waters – then I’m also completely willing to howl at the moon a little.

It appears Beaver’s (Ward, I’m concerned about the Beaver) westward expansion has resulted in a the HomeWaters Club (Official Motto: Never Again Be Forced to Fly Fish With Common People).

This from the “Luxist” web site:

HomeWaters Club is a theme based private club, with multiple locations and reciprocal rights of use in each, similar to an equity-based destination club, but with a fly-fishing identity. It was formed in 2009 as an alliance between Spring Ridge Club of Pennsylvania and Alpine River Club of Colorado, to preserve, and offer members access to 35 miles of trout and steelhead waters across Pennsylvania and 40 miles of the streams and rivers in Colorado. At present, there are nearly 200 members, and the club is expanding to other areas of the US. But right now, the locations span from central, northeastern and Erie, Pennsylvania, to Vail and Steamboat Springs Colorado areas.

So far, it’s pretty standard marketing puffery, albeit for a company whose bylaws include a hoofprint signature from the cloven-hooved deceiver himself.

But in the next paragraph, note the appearance of a well-known fly fisherman’s name:

Recently, a new dimension was added to HomeWaters Club, and that is is HomeWaters University. This is a new program designed to offer a two-day fly-fishing immersion experience. With a staff of 20 fishing guides, HomeWaters University can teach beginners and experts, children and parents, from how to cast for the first time, all the way to learning new casting skills. Housed at the HomeWaters Club new River Village in Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania, the center-piece of HomeWaters University is the first-ever Lefty Kreh Challenge Course offering a range of dry-land, still-water and moving-water stations.

Ahh, Lefty – fly fishing’s Biggest Self-Promoter Most Recognized Name. Did you really have to do it?

Clearly, fly fishing isn’t a route to a lifetime of riches or early, yacht-based retirement.

That said, you risk being exposed for feet of clay when you mess with the folks drawing the attention of a lot of airborne rotting vegetables.

See you on the river, Tom Chandler.

The Alpine River Club – the Western version of Donny’s Spring Ridge Club (which has repeatedly tried to keep anglers from lawfully floating the Little Juniata and illegally strung barbed wire on property it it didn’t even own) – bought a high-end property on Colorado’s Yampa River, and now – only a couple years later – is trying to sell it (for a sizable profit).

I’d suggest the economy hasn’t exactly been kind to the luxury fly fishing membership market, and that a “liqudity event” is being sought by Donny and his investors.

The Steamboat newspaper’s story consists mostly of realtor spin, but some is worth repeating:

One of the best angling spots on the Yampa River is back on the market for $28 million — and just 22 months after it sold for $19.4 million.

That’s quite a price premium given that – in the intervening years – the economy has largely cratered.

The rest of the article – accompanied by a realtor-supplied hero shot of one of the realtors holding a sizable brown trout (is this journalism, or simply free advertising on the part of the Steamboat newspaper?) – is largely realtor boilerplate, though one statement stands out (chillingly):

Smith said the current owners think they can tie up more miles of trout stream on behalf of their members by selling Tailwaters Preserve and using the proceeds to acquire less expensive properties.

Oh goodie. We’ve got that to look forward to.

Then again, it’s probably just more spin.

The world spins constantly, and right now, it’s not rotating in the direction of high-dollar fly fishing members-only clubs, and those that invested heavily in that kind of property might just be realizing it.

via The Steamboat Pilot & Today: 514-acre prime angling spot lists for $28M.

9. Simms meets entry-level wader price point by introducing new breathable "wader shorts"

8. Top fly fishing magazine sells soul to advertisers and exotic destination lodges at 60% of last year’s price

7. High price of gas means fly fishermen are fishing same water, but driving less and making much, much longer casts

6. Buster Wants to Fish gang seen drinking tap water instead of cheap swill PBR

5. The Orvis Guy photographed fishing in last year’s tweed jacket

4. Guides attempt to convince clients that Ritz crackers and government surplus cheese are "euro gourmet" lunch

3. Fly fishers suddenly convinced they can "cast to the backing," but turns out SciAnglers saving money by making fly lines 40′ long

2. Redding Fly Shop testing Vespa Scooters to see if they can pull a drift boat

1. Donnie Beaver has only enough cash to illegally post half as much water as year before

The signs are inescapable, Undergrounders. See any of your own?