Why Join a Fly Club?

Last week, Luke and I had the pleasure of going down to the Dry Side Fly Fishers Club meeting in Moses Lake. We were invited down to do a presentation on fishing Omak Lake. We had a good turn out and really enjoyed ourselves. Let’s face it, anytime we can talk about fly fishing to a like-minded group of people is always a good thing.

Why should I join a fly club?

That brings up a question I have seen posted on a few different fly fishing forums online. And that question is, why should I join a fly club? I was surprised to see a lot of the responses to this question, in what I could only surmise, as a negative response.

A couple of the more common answers seem to be, "I don’t have time to make monthly meetings" and "I have a couple of fishing buddies I can get reports from." These, and a few others pertaining to personality conflicts, etc. were reasons most gave as to why they do not belong to a fly club. I have to admit, I too have found myself using some of these excuses.

Have we lost our desire to interact?

Have we lost our desire to interact on a face to face basis, due to the information highway known as the World Wide Web? After all, we can sit at our computers, tablets or phones and search for all the information we need, without having to look like a rookie. Is the newer generation becoming so conditioned that they no longer have the desire to talk to someone face to face, or even shake hands?

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I think a lot of newer fly anglers, to some extent, have the perception that fly clubs are a group of so-called elitist fly anglers. Not so, for the most part, fly clubs are just a bunch a people who have a passion for fly fishing.  They are from all walks of life and backgrounds. They are a group of people, who just want to explore and expand their passion. They get together once a month for a couple of hours to learn about and teach fly fishing in a small amount of time.

Plus, belonging to a club does not mean that you have to attend every meeting. If you miss one, now and then, the world will not end. You may be missed, but life goes on. What I have observed in fly clubs is a strong desire to bring others into their world, and why not, it is a world of knowledge, exploration and just plain fun.

Fly clubs strive to improve the sport around them.

Besides swapping fishing stories and fly patterns, fly clubs strive to improve the sport around them. Through dues and fund raisers they co-pay, or pay in full, various projects in and around their communities.

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For example, many fishing accesses have been improved, or built by fly clubs. Also, explanatory signage has been provided for a lot of area fishing grounds. And, habitat improvements have been enhanced by various fly clubs. Even college tuitions have been provided to young people looking to get into some form of a career in fish and wildlife management or protection.

To some extent, fly clubs are the boots on the ground for a lot of things. When new laws or bills are introduced, fly clubs can rally their members to garner support, or to challenge it. Having people who can put a real face to important issues that come up pertaining to our sport, as far as I'm concerned, have a bigger impact then a sterilized e-mail.

So, take the time to reach out and look into your local fly club. It’s a means to give back and continue this passion we call fly fishing.

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