An angler tries his hand at using a fly rod at the giant casting pool. (Mike Suchan photo)
By Steve Wright, OutdoorChannel.com
ORLANDO, Fla. — This ICAST panel discussion had an intriguing title, “Fly Fishing and Conventional Fishing: Why Can't We All Get Along?”
"The goal is not a smack-down, but a coming together. We need to heal the gap," said Tom Keer, president of the Keer Group, who led the discussion.
The gap between, for example, "bass boat Bubbas" and "snobby fly fishermen" would appear to be Grand Canyon-sized.
"We use Latin words and quote from 500-year-old books," said Ross Purnell, editor of Fly Fisherman magazine. "We do some weird stuff."
But that divide may be one of mostly perception rather than reality. The emphasis Thursday was on the...