In this post on The Caddis Fly Blog, Jay Nicholas tackles the elephant in the room when it comes to some of the sexist naming conventions in the fly fishing world.
“Grandma, look at this pretty fly that Grandpa tied for me!”
“Why that is a beautiful fly,” you answer. “What is it called?”
“It’s a Pole Dancer, Grandma. What’s a Pole Dancer?” Your granddaughter asks. “Grandpa just laughed and said I should go ask you.”
How do you feel, Grandma? Is this harmless?
Forty years ago, we still Comfortably Cave-Bound Neanderthal Brits were “some way ahead” (geddit?) of you guys. A popular, popped up on a short leader off a deep-sunk line, stocked reservoirs and stillwaters trout pattern that is offered here by way of damning evidence as a look-if-you-dare Google picture search.
This said, the same type of foam fly, but not called the same naturally, has over the years occasionally taken good-sized sea-trout for me when absolutely nothing else would work. Browns too, when the fly was used a pop-up Sculpin, Crawfish or Argentine / Chilean “pancora”.
Look, shake your heads gravely and try not to giggle like Dick Dastardly’s Muttley.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Booby+Fly&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj6_au1vYLvAhWTT8AKHQXlAUkQ_AUoAXoECA8QAw&biw=1280&bih=630
Is this a joke, seriously. I can’t tell. I speak for a lot of people when I say, if this is not a joke, this guys should give up fishing and find a new hobby. Perhaps he would enjoy knitting or painting nails. My wife agrees.
No kidding, I like all the hipster comments that I’m a new fly fisher and this isn’t right. Thanks flylords and every other instagram page that brought these people in. Guess what fishing is pretty much torturing fish for pleasure.
And while talking about names in fly fishing. It’s a bobber not an indicator