Author Topic: "Comp Angling" by Paul Weamer (Read 574 times)

Dejon Hamann · « **on:** November 10, 2011, 02:01:11 PM »

Paul Weamer of TCO Fly Shop in State College, PA has done a nice little 3 part personal view of competitive angling. It's a very candid series with many well thought out components.

http://www.flyfisherman.com/2011/11/07/competitive-angling-part-1-an-introduction/

http://www.flyfisherman.com/2011/11/07/competitive-angling-part-2-the-adult-team/

http://www.flyfisherman.com/2011/11/08/competitive-angling-part-3-the-youth-team/

Chris Puchniak · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2011, 01:49:48 PM »

Good read.

With reference to the Youth Team talk, it's sad how parents can ruin a good thing for kids - but it's always amazing how that ability to pressure kids knows no boundaries. It can be hockey, football, school grades, and now even fly fishing.

But it was interesting to hear some of the history of the path the US team has followed.

Dejon Hamann · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2011, 10:55:22 AM »

Chris, I agree completely. It's sad how some parents feel the need to push and prod their children's pursuits to the point of absurdity... but it happens in every avenue of life not just competitive fly fishing. It's an unfortunate reality and I think the sole position of ownership of team/organization to squash.

Paul was nice enough to add a plug for the league to his blog:
http://www.flyfisherman.com/2011/11/13/competitive-angling-troutlegend/

Mark Hanes · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2011, 12:19:08 PM »

http://www.flyfisherman.com/2011/11/07/competitive-angling-part-2-the-adult-team/

You guys have to check out some of the comments on this one. I love how guys that have no clue on what competition fishing is all about or what the current field is like have all the opinions.

Dejon Hamann · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2011, 05:03:39 PM »

Pretty funny comments! Not that I completely disagree or agree with any of them, but just another great example of why we only allow real names here!

Chris Puchniak · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2011, 05:38:37 PM »

Criticism is fine, and some of the points are valid.

First, no doubt in competition not EVERY great angler in north america is showing up. So, technically the level of quality competiton is not the highest it can theorectically be.

However, I think some people are missing a few things.

Even though not every great angler in NA is there, and sometimes some of the anglers there are at the mediocre stage and still learning, a lot of the anglers there are simply fantastic - and I am speaking from personal results. I know myself (checking humility at the door for a second!) that I am a very decent angler, and when I am on a river/lake/ocean with other anglers, I don't get skunked, and I 'usually' catch the larger portion of fish. I know that if we took 1000 anglers from my area and put us through the rigours, I'd finish in the top percentiles. Like a lot of us here, the guys I fish with just expect me to outfish them 5 to 1 every time (probably do to luck of course...).

But in the events I have fished (and each of these have had 50 or so competitors, so it is a fairly substantial sample size), I am stunned by just how good some other guys are. Their ability to adapt to pressured fish, etc... is fantastic. I quickly see how much more I HAVE to learn! Some people are mediocre, but most are fantastic. A few are exceptional - amazingly amazing!

So I think the guys going as Team Canada or Team USA to events are certainly still among the creme of the crop. I see how they can beat me at times - that leaves little doubt in my mind how good they are. Most of the time I think it is their own humility and modesty (guys like Lance, Loren, Todd, etc...) that may make them seem like "OH, anyone can beat these guys..." Not a chance (consistently anyways - anything can happen on a single day of fishing).

Second, statements by people saying that if you are going to represent as Team USA (or whomever), then you better win the gold (because, I am assuming, we have the best angelrs here in NA) - or else you cannot go again. Or statements similar to this.

These people I suspect have no idea how good the rest of the world is compared to us. We are improving, and we have to accept that. They have started WAY before us, have competition fly fishing in their heritage, plenty of funding to back them up for training, and have 'tough' fisheries that are very conducive to helping fly fishers learn on tough, pressured (and often ) marginal waters. When you have this behind you, you are going to get many very good anglers that will perform well in competitions.

So the fact that we are still learning (and I say this collectively) is not a surprise - we have had a long road to climb to try and reach the level that a number of other countries are already at! But one day we will be there. And I think thay time is getting soon. Well, I hope so anyways...