Every morning I crawl out of bed around 5:00 am, usually slowly because it takes my body a minute to get going. After thirty-two years of making a living, shoeing horses will do that to a guy. I make a cup of coffee for my wife and me. I take hers to our bedroom while she is getting ready for her day. Then I head off to my office. It takes me half an hour or so to shake off the fog swirling around in my head. Lately, I have been watching YouTube for that half hour. I was watching Charlie Cravens channel, most people probably know who he is, but if you don’t. He is an accomplished fly tyer and shop owner from the Denver area.
They made a video about whether “Fly Fishing is Cool?” I would say the discussion leaned towards what fishing means to the different types of people who like to fly fish. I am sure there are some who have been influenced by social media and have gravitated to it because of what they see on the platforms. The big fish caught, exotic places people fish, and the fun it looks like everyone is having. The hero aspect of social media. I think that’s the “Cool” part they are talking about. And when all of us see it, we as humans, have to judge whether we think they fish and post about it on social media because they are trying to be cool and posting for attention, or are they truly genuine fishermen who love to fish. I try not to judge, but I do. At the end of the day, what difference does it make?
Humans are full of all kinds of personalities and differences. Some are going to feel real about who they are, and some will come across as fake and pretentious. Welcome to the internet. Personally, I like seeing pictures of a big fish someone caught and is proud of. There is always a smile to go with it and, if there is a good story to go with the big fish, even better! But I don’t always fit in with the fly-fishing culture, at least on Instagram. That probably has more to do with the fact that I am in my fifties and not my twenties. I don’t sport a mustache, wear flat-brimmed hats, say “tight lines” to everyone, or drink craft beer. I drink the most unpopular beer on the planet right now, Bud Light. And I love it. Laugh at me all you want, it’s the nectar of the gods!
But the one thing that ties us all together is that we love to cast fly rods and catch fish in beautiful places! That’s enough connection for me, whether I’m cool or not.
