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.
