The economic down-turn

As most people know, when the economy takes a dive, our discretionary spending goes out the window. We eat out less, we don't buy the name-brand products and start buying the generics, and worst of all, we stop buying our "toys." I recently had a fellow write a wonderful testimonial on my Fly Fishing Benefactors website about "buying smart." Don't stop buying, buy smart. Look for bargains and try those name brands that are not the top of the line, you may be pleasantly surprised! There are many companies out there making quality fly fishing gear for a "not-so quality" price! You should at least try them out. I am happy to report that we build a quality line of equipment at Fly Fishing Benefactors and we have the testimonials and gear reviews to prove it. If you'd like to test or review our gear, please drop us a line.

What is your favorite Fly Fishing Organization?

I have been fly fishing for almost 40 years and I have been associated with many fly fishing organizations. Not only am I a Trout Unlimited "Life Member", I am also a Outfitters and Guides Member too. I am also a Federation of Fly Fishers Sponsor Member. I support Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing , and Virginia Fly Fish. Each of these organizations are on the web and you can join all of them as a member or a volunteer. Each one of the organizations has specific theme but all support fly fishing, through education, association, conservation, and other means. All are worthwhile programs to become involved with. The membership varies from Free to about $50/year and each provides local expertise and most provide a wonderful color publication that helps guide you through the wonders of fly fishing. I recommend you look into all of these programs as most offer regional help and expertise too. Sound off, let me know what you think of these and other great programs that support the sport of fly fishing!

The Truth about F.E.T. Taxes on Sporting Gear

Most people don't know that when you buy fishing (fly fishing too) gear, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) gets a percentage of the sales price of each item in that little know tax arena of Federal Excise Tax (F.E.T.). FET was created in the 1930's to "gather" some revenue from new technologies and capabilities that were growing in popularity. One you might be familiar with was the FET taxes on your telephone calls that were recently repealed. The truth is, the taxes on this gear are for a worthwhile cause and most manufacturers build the tax into their price structure. So, for those of you that are interested, any fly fishing tackle is taxed at 10% of the retail or wholesale price of the item. On fly rods, the tax is limited to $10.00 per item, so that $1,000 Sage is still only $10.00 in FET tax. Ha, doesn't seem fair to the lower end rod guys who still pay $10.00 in tax on their $100.00 fly rod. Fly boxes are 3% of the retail/wholesale price of the item. So, when you buy a $300 fly rod, a $149 reel, a line kit with line, backing, leaders and tippet for $50 and a $25 fly box with a $12 price on a dozen flies, the manufacturer (or importer) has to pay $10.00 for the rod, $14.90 for the reel, $5.00 for the line kit, only .75 cents on the fly box but $1.20 for the flies. Grand total? $31.85 in FET taxes. Where do these taxes go? They go to support federal wildlife programs and fisheries research and funding. I think we all understand the necessity of taxes for services but I don't think everyone knows about the FET taxes. Weigh in with your thoughts. Fair or Foul? You make the call.

Showing courtesy and conservation, even when no one is watching!

In today's society, we have come to a place very unfamiliar to me in my worldly travels. I don't know when it happened or how it happened but something definitely changed in our society. We started locking our doors, breaking our promises, not showing courtesy, showing disrespect, bad-mouthing, and whining about almost everything. I'm not saying we all do it but just take one day in your week and try and remember when someone did something nice for you. Did that last driver motion you in front of him in the grid-lock traffic or did he show you his middle finger? At the bank, did the person in front of you let you go ahead because they didn't have their deposit slip already prepared like you? Does the lady let you buy the loaf of bread and a gallon of milk you have in your hands before she empties two shopping carts onto the conveyor belt in front of you? When I go home (the south), I marvel at total strangers waving to me on back roads. I appreciate it when in a foreign country, the locals will try and help you when you look lost. When you lose something here, why even bother to look in the lost and found? In Japan, your lost item would be left right where you lost it! In plain view of hundreds, so you could return and reclaim it. Our society has changed and I am not sure why.

When I am fishing a stream, nothing spells inconsiderate better than finding beer cans and food wrappers strewn across the banks. Better still, you are fishing your favorite spot and someone else comes up and starts fishing close enough to concern you about your return lane while casting! The Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), Trout Unlimited (TU) and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) not only teaches you about fly fishing but also encourages courtesy and manners in doing so. Fish are a natural resource and even though they replenish themselves (despite humans messing with their environment), they should be viewed as precious and we should strive to protect them and their environment.

I have done a few stream reclamation projects and have been amazed at what we will throw into the water without a second thought. I have also been more amazed at what the stream looks like and the fish population in them a few years later. If we all do our part, however small, it will help us to preserve these natural resources for our enjoyment, our children and their children's enjoyment. So, show your courtesy and conservation, even when there is no one watching.

Motivational Reading

A number of years ago, I happened upon a book in a book store about the 100 Best Trout Streams in America. I wondered what someone else would pick for the 100 best trout streams in America. So, I found what John Ross, the author, thought the 100 best were. I was so intrigued by the book that I have made a pact with myself to try and fish all 100 streams. This will be quite an endeavor as the streams span the country east and west as well as north and south. John Ross is a very matter-of-fact kind of guy with a heart as big as Texas. He gives a lot to Trout Unlimited (TU) as he is the Virginia TU Council Chairman. Besides running the Virginia Trout Camp each year down in Syria, he also manages and leads some 55 state chapters of TU towards their annual goals. I have fished 23 of the streams in John's book to date and without exception, find his observations of those streams to be dead-on with mine. So far, I think that the streams I have fished from John's book definitely rate in the top 100 streams in America. So, if you are interested in finding some keen observations and anecdotal information on some local or regional streams (as well as others far away on your wish list), I suggest you give this book a read. You won't be disappointed, I promise. I have to warn you that you might encounter the same problems that I did once I read the book. You WILL want to find out more about these streams and maybe, just maybe, you'll want to try and fish them all too!

Virginia Fly Fish - A helping hand indeed!

When I moved to Virginia for the second time in 2000, I made a promise to myself that I would take in more fly fishing, especially for the elusive "Brookie." I bought some books, went to some fly shops (sadly all gone now), and finally, did some surfing on the net. I was in search of a good guide, a "helping hand" to determine information not normally found in your guide books or reference articles on fly fishing. I found Virginia Fly Fish dot com. Stephen Sklarew, founder, is a Virginia Tech grad and an avid fly fisherman, to say the least. His approach to the site was to give everyone who was interested, ample and up-to-date information on streams, fishing conditions, parking, and public access of almost every good stream in the state of Virginia. I found myself printing off the maps from the website, looking into the stream reports, checking the stocking schedules, and searching through the multitude of forums, that all brought me closer and more prepared to fly fish in Virginia, than anyplace I have ever been! Virginia Fly Fish is perhaps the best "helping hand" that anyone could ever use to fly fish in Virginia. If you have not visited the site, you are really missing out on some good information and reliable fishing expertise you will not find anywhere, for FREE! Please visit the site and send them a contribution, so that Stephen can keep up the good work and keep us all up to speed on where to fly fish in Virginia!

Teaching the new dogs old tricks

Contrary to the old adage, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks", you CAN teach a new dog old tricks! Trout Unlimited has created an incredible learning opportunity for the younger generation to learn how to fly fish. John Ross , author of the "must have" fly fishing enthusiast book, The 100 Best Trout Streams in America is the State Chairman for the Trout Unlimited Virginia chapters. He also runs the Virginia Trout Camp, which by all accounts, is the birthplace for 24 new fly fishing enthusiasts each year. The week-long event, taught by Trout Unlimited volunteers, encompasses all the important aspects of fly fishing. Entomology, fly-tying, fly fishing equipment, fly casting, presentation techniques, and environmental respect are just a few of the lessons given to these new, young fly fishing fledglings. Similarly, Charlie Breithaupt, the Georgia Chapter Chairman for Trout Unlimited, runs a Trout Camp in Georgia. With all these trout camp graduates, we have plenty of new fresh blood in the ranks, eager to promote the sport and conserve our resources, because we have a great line of dedicated volunteers at Trout Unlimited that teach and support fly fishing and conservation! For more information about the camps and how you can start/support a camp in your state, contact Trout Unlimited through the link above.

Helping our wounded warriors

As a retired Air Force Officer and Pilot and the son of a retired military veteran, I am very supportive of our military. I am also a disabled veteran, having been severely injured in an F-4 Phantom mishap in 1980 while conducting a training mission. When I heard about Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) I knew I had to get involved with this program! Ed Nicholson, a retired Navy Captain, came up with this brilliant plan to help our wounded warriors rehabilitate from their combat and active duty injuries by learning fly fishing. The veterans are learning the gear, casting, fly tying, the whole nine yards! And, as I always imagined, there were many who came forward to volunteer their time to help these veterans by creating local and regional chapters. Folks like Ken Morrow and John Bass, who I have met and admire, help these soldiers, sailors and airmen learn the art of fly fishing. I have seen many new fly fishers born from this organization, including their spouses! Yet another Fly Fishing Enthusiast is born! To learn more about the program and how you can help, contact Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing through the link above. They will appreciate your kind and generous offer of a donation of time, money, or better still, both!

Welcome to the Fly Fishing Enthusiast

In an effort to promote the art of fly fishing, I have dedicated this blog to those who are willing to share their passion for the sport and also articulate their thoughts on the economic, environmental and emotional status of fly fishing in general.

I learned to fly fish as a young boy in Japan with a bamboo fly rod. I always lived somewhere where I could fish but felt that fly fishing was a cold water sport. I felt rather inhibited by tight quarters and out-of-the-way places I have fished around the world and since the quarry was a warm-water species, felt bait casting or spin-casting was more appropriate.

As I grew older and more experienced with fishing, I found that the enjoyment of fly-fishing transcended the temperature of the water and the species and that it was "OK" to fly-fish for anything, anywhere, provided you had the skills, equipment and space to "fly" a line. My bamboo rod has given way to complex 45-ton modulus carbon, my reels are machined but to a completely different standard, and the terminal tackle has made advancements beyond anything I had imagined in the bait-casting environment.

I also found myself wading in warm azure waters seeking species that would have swamped my john boat in Mississippi. As delicate as a 5-inch Brooke Trout to a Bone or a Permit, I have learned that the 2-weight and the 8-weight have the same principles, just different presentations and different considerations for personal refreshment and gear/apparel. I used to wear cut-off jeans and a T-Shirt and there was a cooler always close while bait-casting. I also never bait-casted with snow on the ground and waded with thermal underwear doing so either!

Over the years I was able to overcome the differences in the gear (specifically pricing) and the philosophical differences and application of the artificial lures used in the sport. When I was bait fishing for large-mouth Bass for instance, a long-time friend and mentor always told me, "color of the worm doesn't matter, as long as it is purple!" Fly fishing presented other complexities in not only fly selection but presentation and a better than a rudimentary understanding of entomology.

I also recognized a drastic shift in the geography when I fly fished. I was in rather out of the way places, the streams were gin clear, and the license and stamps to fish there were far more expensive than I was ever used to paying while bait-casting. Emotionally, I was happy to fish either way but somehow, I felt more secure and confident with a fly-rod than I ever did with a bait casting rig.

So, I think that Karl Pearson would have been proud of me to understand correlations and multiple-regression to the level I associated with fly fishing. I associated the three "Es" to my fishing experiences and understood the spectrum of fishing better. Economically, I could fish cheaper as a bait-caster. Fly Fishing gear is far more expensive for a basic and more experienced gear set-up than bait-casting. Environmentally, I could fish almost anywhere as a bait-caster. Meaning, the water didn't have to be clear and flowing in a mountain stream or be the clear wide flats of salt-water fishing. Emotionally, I was more excited about the location and the species as a fly fisher than I was a bait-caster. Not that catching slab bream or bass on a fly rod is not as exciting and enjoyable as catching a beautiful brown or a rainbow form a remote mountain stream. I can catch fish right off the dock of my lake home in Georgia with a fly rod and do it all the time. However, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy driving up to the mountains and getting the fresh air, hiking into a remote stream and catching some beautiful trout either. I just know that a jet ski is not going to get caught in my #12 Mr. Rapidan on the mountain stream like it has in my back yard!

I am happy with my fishing arrangements. I am happy I can choose between the modes of fishing. I do realize that fly fishing presents different hurdles economically, environmentally and emotionally and I accept all those challenges. I prefer to fly fish if given the opportunity to choose. I also chose to bow-hunt over hunting with a rifle. Like bow-hunting, fly fishing takes a little more skill and finesse to get your quarry. I liked the challenge and also accepted the failures far better fly fishing than I did bait-casting. I have thrown everything in my fly box to a Brooke trout that never took and I have caught the same bass over and over again with a plastic worm, a floating plug or a spinner bait in a 30-minute time frame.

I remember the first time I fly fished for Peacock Bass in Panama, the locals thought I was crazy rocking back and forth in the boat with line going in every direction. But, when the sun set each night, I had more fish than anyone and they always marveled at the mode that made me successful on those trips. I even had some locals mock my movements for years as they tried to replicate my casting of the fly, all the while laughing and appreciating the art of fly fishing.


I have fly fished in North and South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. I am planning a trip to Australia and if there is anything in Antarctica that will take a fly, I will go there just to say I have fly-fished on every continent! My enthusiasm for fly fishing is well founded. How about you?