The Two Bit Hooker and other flies not for kids

In the last 3 issues of Fly Fisherman magazine, there has been an ongoing presentation letters addressing something that would seem simple enough to decide, but has somehow become a running debate; Todd Harper wrote in to the magazine’s Tight Lines (letters to the editor) section describing how uncomfortable it was for him to deal with the impression his 10 year old daughter got from the name of Charlie Craven's fly the “Two-Bit Hooker”. You’d think this would be a no-brainer, but the magazine has since printed letters in each successive issue from writers decrying, even ridiculing, the desire of Mr. Harper to dare filter what reaches his child. If only more felt this way!

 

Can you guess my point of view?

Let me say first that the name of that particular fly seems to have originated from the two beads used in its construction, however the young girl immediately thought prostitute as does almost anyone who hears it. I don't get the impression that Mr. Craven was dancing nasty when he named this one. The general topic however has been treated shabbily. Contrary to every response printed by Fly Fisherman, I am in complete agreement with Todd Harper; there’s a growing frat-boy humor in the naming of flies that belongs locked in the fraternity where the other not-quite-yet men can guffaw over their toilet humor and sexual innuendo. Truly, while I certainly don’t know anything about the personality or habits of Mr. Kelley Galloup or claim to, I can’t help but wonder what kind of freaky night life he enjoys since he likes to name so many of his flies with sexually oriented appellations. Perhaps he's just a guy looking to spark attention, I can't say. He isn’t the only one, but it’s his flies which prominently grace the pages and covers of Fly Fisherman and other fly fishing magazines, so by default he becomes the flag bearer of the movement. 

How disappointing to see so many letters haranguing Todd Harper for daring care what influences his child! I wonder if there have been any letters to the magazine in his support. That is, aside from the one I sent which didn’t reach the light of day. Fly fishermen have always had the reputation of being the upper crust, the highfalutin’ of society from whom bait and lure fishermen could only humbly recede a number of yards as they cast their lines across the waters. That reputation is crumbling quickly under the weight of men looking either for attention to sell their wares, or truly uncaring about the people around them. That is the trend of society (“I want what I want; if you don’t want what I want, too bad, I win”), and I wonder if Fly Fisherman is going that way (Galloup is a big name; are they keeping him from dissention?) or if there truly haven’t been any letters to them espousing a view which cares about the next generation, and themselves don’t wallow in the verbal mire.

I’m a Christian, and there are a number of flies I won’t even name because their names are crude and simply a juvenile cry for attention. I know fishers who aren’t Christians but still find difficulty in naming these flies much less touting their worth. You cannot find any logical reason to name a fly “Sex Dungeon” other than to get attention. It is my hope that Mr. Galloup, Fly Fisherman, and others of the same mindset will remember that there are people who appreciate their work, but won’t play that game. 

I stopped getting Fly Rod and Reel because of their uncensored articles because I don’t want to read all the foul language when I simply want a story on travel, tying or fishing. I won’t buy or tie flies that have crude names because I don’t want to turn to someone who asks what fly I’m using and end up in either a Beavis and Buttheadesque conversation, or with the embarrassment of trying to explain the name. Searching the web and looking at fly fishing blogs, it appears that most of those who are writing on the topic just don't care because they reckon their kids are already exposed to this stuff on tv, but that only highlights the fact that if someone had kept the standards high for tv, they wouldn't have seen or heard it there.

At the bottom of the list of possibilities, I can’t imagine explaining to a group of young people that I’ve taken to the lake how the fly I’m using is called the Sex Dungeon. It’s just not a situation I’m going to create.

Bass Pro Shops sued for discrimination

The lawsuit alleges that qualified African-Americans and Hispanics were routinely denied positions at Bass Pro stores and managers of stores in Houston, Louisiana and other locations made derogatory racial comments acknowledging the practice.
The commission also alleges that Bass Pro destroyed documents related to applications and internal discrimination complaints and retaliated against those who spoke up.

Story

Felt waders banned due to algae contamination!

In order to fight the continued spread of the species of algae named didymo, the state of Maryland has banned the use of felt soled waders for fishing effective this past March 22! Alaska and Vermont have enacted similar regulations and Oregon may be next.

“A felt ban, it’s not a panacea by any means,” McKnight said. “But it removes the most organism-friendly mechanism for transporting this. Felt is almost like a petri dish for this.

‘We didn’t think we could do nothing because the stakes were too high. We’re talking about pristine waters, great fisheries, at risk.”

Pennsylvania has didymo within its boundaries. According to the Fish and Boat Commission, it’s been discovered in the east and west branches of the Delaware River.

The commission has not yet considered a ban on felt-soled waders, though, said spokesman Rick Levis.

“We do not have any action pending right now related to felt soles. Staff is evaluating the issue, but are not prepared at this time to make a specific recommendation to our commissioners,” Levis said.

Practicing good disinfecting of your waders, boat bottom and water holds, and any other possible means of transport that an invader could use should be common practice for every fisherman because we need to consider the impact that we are having.

That said, there's no way I'll risk fishing most waters that we think of as trout waters (moving water, lots of stones and growth on the bottom) without felt waders. I've slipped to many times and for my own safety I just won't do it anymore, which means that when states ban felt, there are a lot of waters in that state which I won't wade anymore.

I've tried the studs, and rubber soles, and neither provided the traction of felt, and the metal studs become painfully uncomfortable after a while. Further, Trout Unlimited is taking this step:

In the meantime, Trout Unlimited has asked wader manufacturers to phase out felt-soled waders by the end of this year. That hasn’t happened completely yet, but manufacturers have been developing alternatives that will still satisfy anglers, said Trout Unlimited spokeswoman Erin Mooney.

Truly, this smells of another huge overreach by the zero-tolerance types. Have a problem? Institute a ban! By the evidence of the report itself it took only one year to go from discovery of the presence of the algae to a complete ban. Considering how long it normally takes to accomplish anything when politicians are involved, how many alternatives could the have investigated?

Whatever the rulings, I just know that without felt or a reasonable alternative (which either isn't on the market because I have tried everything I could think of just out of curiosity, or is too expensive for me), I simply won't wade certain waters. Since wading is my preferred form of fishing, I guess that means I'll just have to go elsewhere.

Amazing footage: Grouper snatches hooked shark

This is footage any tv crew would drool to have caught!

Fish farming in Singapore

O man, reading this report at Practical Fishkeeping made me drool over the possibilities. This is a report from Jeremy Gay of his visit to a Singaporean fish farm, and includes lots of pictures!

Huge fish kill in Arkansas

The 20-mile stretch along the Arkansas River where an estimated 100,000 drum fish were found washed ashore and floating looks much different now.

Keith Stephens with Game and Fish explains, "We got a call last week from a tug boat operator that found the fish out on the river along the bank, in the river channel and we immediately dispatched somebody to the area to take a look."

Investigators from local and state agencies took samples from the affected area. Stephens says fish kills occur every year, but the magnitude of this one is unusual, and disease could be the cause.

A pollutant would have affected cross species. Stephens says, "Ninety-nine percent of them were Drum, which is a bottom feeder. It's not a game fish in Arkansas."

Read more here

In addition to that news out of Arkansas comes this shocking report:

Bemused U.S. officials are looking into why more than 1,000 blackbirds crashed from the sky in Arkansas on the final day of 2010.

In scenes reminiscent of the FlashForward drama series, state wildlife employees were searching the town of Beebe after scores of birds fell to the ground late on New Year's Eve, continuing into the early hours of the morning.

High winds and tornadoes swept through Arkansas on New Year's Eve, killing seven people, and state staff believe the bizarre incident could be down to the severe conditions.

That story here.