Back in 1992 a simple, thought provoking, film hit the American movie houses and began to create a new generation of creature upon the streams of this country. The creature: "The Modern Fly Fisherman", the movie: "A River Runs Through It" and for the next 15 years, give or take a bit, the sport of Fly Fishing began "another" renaissance.
We find this about the movie from Wilkipedia:
"A River Runs Through It is a 1992 American film directed by Robert Redford and starring Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, and Emily Lloyd. It is a period drama based on the semi-autobiographical novella A River Runs Through It (1976) written by Norman Maclean (1902–90), adapted for the screen by Richard Friedenberg.
Set in and around the city of Missoula in western Montana, the story follows two sons of a Presbyterian minister—one studious and the other rebellious—as they grow up and come of age in a time that roughly spans the Prohibition era (1919–33) in the United States: from World War I (1917–18) to the early days of the Great Depression (1929–41).
The film won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 1993 and was nominated for two other Oscars, for Best Music, Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film grossed $43,440,294 in US domestic returns"
Impressive indeed.
New Fly Shops started springing up, Extravagant Fly Fishing Shows, the Outdoor Channels were offering Fly Fishing Only T.V. shows, new fly patterns, new gear, the "Fly Rod" became the "I-Phone" of it's day back just a few years ago.
I was not untouched by this "cool way to fish " either in that day, even though I had been on the stream with fly rod in hand since the 1960's (my gray hair is real, thank you). In 2004, with the help of my son Chris, we put together a "fly fishing web site" called "Classictrout.com". The vision for ClassicTrout was to keep alive the fly fishing heritage and tradition of fly fishing that existed "before the MOVIE".
Now don't start writing letters to the editor here.
I loved the movie.
But there was such a "rush" to "modernize" and "revolutionize" the sport, due to its' new and almost maniac popularity, that I felt a deep breath needed to be taken and to try and stop some of the "gold rush" mentality.
Not looking for martyrdom or seeking to make myself in my mind, better or mightier than others, I just felt that perhaps, there was a need for a return to some of the "old days", whether they were the good old ones or not. Afterall, fly fishing is known as, "The Contemplative Man's Sport."
Now, with that said, I honestly don't care how another angler fishes or even what his motives are, afterall angling is about the pursuit of enjoyment, so go ahead, to thine own self be true! Enough said.
Now, however, we find ourselves again at another crossroad in the sport. The Internet and Social Media.
Yes, there is an effect on this sport by the Internet, there has been one for quite sometime now. Here I lean totally in the other direction in embracing the newest in technology (obviously, or I would not be writing a blog and you would not be reading it). The wonderful thing here is that it offers the same flexibility to all.
We can can write and share our experiences, we can educate, we can be educated, we can inform and we can socialize and enjoy. Private Forums on web sites have taken a "nose-dive" across the Internet. While they are still sought out by the "newbie" who is in search of info about his particular situation. The more established practitioner seeks a quicker more "accessible" venue to ask a question, read a post, look at or post a photo or video. This is where Social Media meets the Fly Fisherman. The research confirms it.
So it is with this in mind that I have "UPDATED" to the masses.
ClassicTrout.com is now for the most part entirely a Facebook based enterprise. This blog will be active with my personal thoughts, stories and tall tales, I hope you enjoy them.
Please comment as freely as you wish.
Jim JB Martin
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