Killroys soap box for opinions of Fly Tying and Fishing subjects

Opinions - Killroy's Soapbox

I'll use this page to express some of my views and those of others, where the subject pertains to fly tying or fishing.

If the opinions shown here get your juices flowing, you may respond to me by email. As long as you can control yourself in such a way that you do not use profanity or abusive language, I will post your responses to the opinions presented here on this page with the original opinion. As a matter of caution and courtesy I will not post your email address with your comments, but expect your name to be displayed with the rest of us.

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issues:

Fly Tying Books - Nov 10, 1997

The only gripe that I have about some of the fly tying books is that not all of the patterns that the author refers to have recipies or pictures or sketches. If this pattern continues, those of us who follow will not be able to keep those patterns alive.

submitted by: Bob Dangl

Rivers that have been "Privatized" - June 28, 1997

I don't know about other parts of the world but here in Eastern Canada we have fishing waters you cannot access without a licensed guide. This drives me around the bend. Here in my home province of Nova Scotia the waters are still considered public. Any resident or non-resident can get on the waters by simply purchasing a license. Neighboring New Brunswick on the other hand is another story. The residents of the province have no problem fishing on the rivers, and rightfully so. Non-residents, however, have to purchase outrageously expensive licenses and can only get on the rivers with licensed guides. This basically makes the waters private. This is the "if you can't pay you can't play mentality". As every one knows the costs of outfitters and guides can be rather expensive. To put this in perspective I live about a 4 hour drive from some great fishing in New Brunswick. In my own province I live about 5-6 hours from comparable rivers. To fish here in Nova Scotia it would cost me anywhere from $10-$30 a year for licensing and whatever my transportation costs. To go to New Brunswick would cost about $250 a day for guiding, $150 for a 3 day license and transportation costs. It is hard to convince the family that we can't buy a new car this year because I'm driving 3 hours to New Brunswick to fish for a weekend. I work with a gentleman who grew up in New Brunswick. He has lived in Nova Scotia for about 7 years now. For him to fish in his home province would cost the same as you or I, yet he grew up and lived most of his life there. Why not make a provision for people with relatives in the province like Newfoundland has. Where does government get off legislating a pastime into an exclusive club for the well off. They use the excuse that this is to take pressure off of an already strained fishery. Humbug!! The government bought out commercial salmon licenses on the East Coast of Canada some years back and the rivers have recovered so well that the pressure is on to re-open the commercial fishery again. I can agree with certain limits on non-resident fishing. I for one would be really upset if I could no longer fish my home rivers because non-residents fished it to death. But hey, you don't have to go to the extreme and make non-resident fishing a bank loan affair. If you can legislate me into paying for fishing services I do not need what's next legislation that says if you buy land you must build a $200,000 home on it, If I work in town I must buy a car!! I think it's time to rethink this kind of policy. Fisherman are fisherman are fisherman. We are all the same. So charge a little extra to let me fish your waters. Do not make it so pricey that I do not feel welcome in your province. After all your biggest industry is tourism, but I will not come until you prove to me that I am welcome. You have the Miramichi, Restigouche and St. John rivers. We have the Margaree, Cheticamp, St. Mary's, Medway and LaHave. You can fish here for a $100 dollar license for the weekend. I need a second mortgage to visit your waters for a weekend.

submitted by: Joel Sampson

Responses:

1/7/98 - Eric Noel replies:

I very much dislike the idea of privitising rivers. I remember geting up in the morning and going fishing with my father when I was young and I would very much so like to do the same with my son in the future. The thought of not being able to go to my favorite river and spending all day fishing is disturbing.

Fly fishing for kids - June 28, 1997

We have to do more than just talk the good talk about saving fishing for another generation. There are a million good programs out there, and YOU can get involved. Here's a link to our 4-H club home page: members.aol.com/fishin4h/index.html. Yeah 4-H isn't just rural kids raising sheep! They have a terrific national program and training sessions all around the country (MI just finished up, TX next). If you think you have what it takes to pass along FLY FISHING to kids, contact your local Cooperative Extension Office, and ask about the National Sportfishing Program. Some local agents haven't even heard of it yet, but the e-mail address for the National coordinator is on our site, as is My e-mail address for more info on the Maine 4-H Fishing program. Fishing with kids can be doubly rewarding. You get to fish, you get to teach, you get respect, you get future fishermen who share your values. What a deal.

submitted by: Bob Mowdy fishin4h@aol.com

Responses:

previous issues:

Killroy's Opinion on Fly Pattern Patenting - April 7, 1997:

I have discovered that there seems to be a new trend towards people "patenting" fly patterns. Admittedly all I know about this "trend" is cursory information (hearsay). I have a personal message for those who do this or are thinking of doing it: GET A LIFE! Patenting fly patterns with the intention of "protecting" it is not only the product of a bored mind with nothing productive to do, it is a frightful small-scale demonstration of this great country's (U.S.A.) over-active legal glands. Rather than patent a pattern, put the thing in a pattern book, get it published, give it away, BUT WHATEVER YOU DO - GROW UP A LITTLE. It's bad enough that to enjoy our favorite sport we must sink hundreds and even thousands of dollars into rods, reels, and other equipment necessary to just 'get out there and catch a fish'.

Good fishing to you all...
Killroy.

Responses:

4/9/97 - Joel Sampson replies:

I have to agree with Killroy. I thought this was a pastime/sport of gentlemen/ladies. When I started out tying flies there was a free flow of information. In the past five years I have noticed an ever widening group of people who want to monopolize on the growing interest in fly tying/fishing. I have watched as prices have increased 100% and now the patenting of fly patterns. Come on people!!!

So you patent a fly pattern calling for x-style hook and b-style materials of a certain color. I can duplicate the pattern using Z-style hook and k-style materials of the same color. I have beaten your patent and have an equivalent if not better pattern than you. What are you going to do if I patent that style pattern and it is better than yours? Some of the best patterns being used today are a result of someone's modification of a previous fly. I will use bead head nymph's for example.

Do you want to stop this free flow of information or is it all about the almighty dollar. Are you just looking to get rich. Isn't the sport costly enough as it is. I have invested about $5000 dollars in tying equipment and materials. I am not about to spend another $5000 to buy the rights to use the materials I bought to actually tie a patented pattern.

This reminds me of the internet. When it started it was a vehicle to promote the the FREE flow of ideas and information. Now you can't even connect without it costing you something in excess of FREE.

People it's time to GET A BRAIN.

7/7/97 - Christopher Soule replies:

How many times have we heard a neophyte to the fly fishing/tying fraternity say that they have created "a killer pattern!" when we those of us in the know have been using a similar or exact copy of the same pattern for years? For someone to have the (pardon me) balls to claim patent rights to a pattern they "created" is, in my mind, outrageous. It is all fine and dandy to claim or state that one has created a "new and innovative" pattern. But where does the impetuous (SP) for such a pattern come from? As far as I am concerned, it usually comes from an intimate knowledge of existing patterns. (I don't seem to remember people such as Lee Wulff copyrighting patterns!) Furthermore, those of us who have been fly fishing for a few years or more know that there are certain qualities that should be incorporated in certain patterns to make them effective. This knowledge generally has come from the hard work and experimentation of anglers that have gone before us. If you are so anal to wish to "patent" a pattern then it is best that you keep it to yourself, but keep in mind that the rest of us will probably come up with a similar solution anyway. So in short, to those that wish to "patent" patterns, I have only this to say.., TThhhppptt!

9/6/97 - J.W. Bregg replies:

I was introduced to fly fishing in July '69, at a shallow lake in Wyoming. Never did figure out how to keep from tying the leader in knots. Just a couple hours worth of lessons. In August '96 I bought a combo fly-spinning rod, and took it on vacation to Montana. The spinning application sucked. The fly application was a no miss (no brainer).

It looked like a good time for a new hobby. I purchased a cheap-o tying rig in April '97. Along with a video from the local state conservation department, I tied a midge or two. I found it difficult to find any specific information on how to get started, 1)how to initally wrap the thread (to start) 2) which way to wrap, how far, etc.

Some day I figure I'll get a handle on tying and I may even invent or re-invent a (can't miss fly), but to charge for it would seem to be foreign to a real fishermans (outdoorsmans) credo. I'm afraid that the current common theory for human existance (greed) is creaping into a sport that has long existed on good will and friendship, and a coveting of nature and natural resourses. I'm not sure that this response will provoke much reaction or comment, but I hope that the viewers would get a little ticked off and offer some opinions of their own. I'm not sure I've really addressed the topic but I've dumped a load off my mind.

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