Fly Fishing Elitism (from an outsiders perspective)

[falcon]

I am a hillbilly born from farmers and coal crackers and a damn good individual. Everywhere I live or have lived prople like me.

 

[TimMurphy]

I live amongst rednecks and hillbillies-and none of them would ever be offended by any of these posts. Certainly none of them are offended by being called "redneck" or "hillbilly". In fact, "hillbilly" is worn as a badge of honor. Also just going through some of these threads, half the people calling others rednecks are, and I know this first hand, actual rednecks themselves. PCRAY...and you REALLY think a dude named "Farmer Dave" suffers from elitism!? I haven't met him in person, but having interacted w/ him for well over a decade now, I'm almost certain he's a "good ole' boy"...dare I say, a BUBBA himself.
Sounds like you suffer from a victim mentality.

I would recommend you spend a little less time digging up threads from over a decade ago, and a little more time getting to know some of the dudes 'round these parts. Then you might be able to discern folks' senses of humor instead of getting hurt over someone from a rural area calling other people from a rural area a "hilljack" or "bubba".

Dear Sasquatch,

I do believe this thread needs some Jackson Browne. 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[KELORGO]

This is easy guys:

According to Cznymph, nobody is qualified to make any determinations on anything, be he IS qualified to tell them that.

Easy, peasy, close the thread.

 

[Cznymph]

This is easy guys:

According to Cznymph, nobody is qualified to make any determinations on anything, be he IS qualified to tell them that.

Easy, peasy, close the thread.

Having lived in one of the most rural parts of PA for my entire life, excepting my undergrad and grad school years, I think I’m pretty darn qualified to speak on how derogatory slurs towards rural residents are perceived by those of us who live here.

 

[jifigz]

Having lived in one of the most rural parts of PA for my entire life, excepting my undergrad and grad school years, I think I’m pretty darn qualified to speak on how derogatory slurs towards rural residents are perceived by those of us who live here.

Is that specific to residents of the northern tier? What about all of the other people that live in extremely rural areas of PA? Do their opinions on those topics count? Let's take Fulton County as an example. It's an extremely rural county. It has less residents than Potter, but it also is half the size, so yes, the residents there are more densely packed. Instead of bordering NY, Fulton borders MD. Are they rural enough to have an opinion on derogatory rural slang? Have you ever spent much time there? Would their opinions mean anything to you?

Kelorgo is right. You dismiss everyone's opinion but your own. It actually seems you have a sense of superiority over others here. Am I the only one gathering that?

I don't know you from Adam, but it seems you sow more division than you do unity 'round here. You're painting everyone with a negative light when you really know nothing about us, and you base your opinions on a few posts from the past.

It's good to have pride and respect for where you're from. It's bad to be a close minded person who has problems with every person who is an outsider.

 

[Cznymph]

Is that specific to residents of the northern tier? What about all of the other people that live in extremely rural areas of PA? Do their opinions on those topics count? Let's take Fulton County as an example. It's an extremely rural county. It has less residents than Potter, but it also is half the size, so yes, the residents there are more densely packed. Instead of bordering NY, Fulton borders MD. Are they rural enough to have an opinion on derogatory rural slang? Have you ever spent much time there? Would their opinions mean anything to you?

Kelorgo is right. You dismiss everyone's opinion but your own. It actually seems you have a sense of superiority over others here. Am I the only one gathering that?

I don't know you from Adam, but it seems you sow more division than you do unity 'round here. You're painting everyone with a negative light when you really know nothing about us, and you base your opinions on a few posts from the past.

It's good to have pride and respect for where you're from. It's bad to be a close minded person who has problems with every person who is an outsider.

Does Fulton county have an over abundance of camps? Does Fulton county receive a large amount of recreation based tourism?

I don’t recall ever hearing someone who said that they couldn’t to go fishing in Fulton County. Why doesn’t PAFF have a jam in Fulton County?

I’m not anti tourism, nor am I anti outsider. What I am against is seeing people who’ve been born and raised elsewhere, speak for me. I’ve never had any type of negative interaction with someone here to stargaze and really haven’t had much issue with ATV riders. Only ever with people pursuing consumptive outdoor activities like hunting and fishing.

Let’s not forget something very important. I’m not the one who has said derogatory things about other people. I’m not the one who called bait anglers retarded, or implied that just because of how someone chooses to fish, corresponds with their lack of concern over the environment. You’ll find that I don’t use terms like flatlander to describe people who visit my area.

I called out some fly fisherman for their attitudes towards others, I was told that wasn’t the case. I provided examples of people saying some pretty awful stuff. I was then told that, “oh that was long ago”, or “that’s not what I meant”. Then some of you feel that I should be proud to be stereotyped as an uneducated, uncultured bumpkin. I should wear around the word Hillbilly like a badge of honor.

No thanks. It’s very clear that some of you have a huge issue with people who aren’t like you. You think that there’s no way that someone with a spinning rod could have the same level of care or concern towards nature, that you a fly fisherman would have. Just like some of the deer hunters who frequent my area, you feel that spending a few bucks locally gives you the right to do as you please and talk down to local residents.

 

[dudemanspecial]

It’s very clear that some of you have a huge issue with people who aren’t like you.

Pot, meet kettle.

 

[riverwhy]

I think you are scapegoating flyfisherman for all the changes you don't like. I am curious how much Potter has changed in the last 20 years which is the only time I have visited. Are they building new camps? Air BNB's? Crowding out your local fishing holes and forests?

I also dislike when new people move in, post land, cut forests, destroy farmland and create suburbia out of what was once rural land. But I don't take it out on a group of people.

I had a friend from rural western pa, who absolutely hated eastern Pa especially Philadelphia. His area had virtually no cabins or outsiders coming in to fish and hunt. In fact I am surprised we even became friends! But we connected on our love of fishing, especially brookie fishing!

 

[Cznymph]

Pot, meet kettle.

I’m sorry, am I the one who called bait fisherman retarded?

 

[Cznymph]

I think you are scapegoating flyfisherman for all the changes you don't like. I am curious how much Potter has changed in the last 20 years which is the only time I have visited. Are they building new camps? Air BNB's? Crowding out your local fishing holes and forests?

I also dislike when new people move in, post land, cut forests, destroy farmland and create suburbia out of what was once rural land. But I don't take it out on a group of people.

I had a friend from rural western pa, who absolutely hated eastern Pa especially Philadelphia. His area had virtually no cabins or outsiders coming in to fish and hunt. In fact I am surprised we even became friends! But we connected on our love of fishing, especially brookie fishing!

No one is crowding me out of anything. I don’t fish stocked streams as I don’t care for the crowds, and it’s very rare that I ever encounter anyone while fishing for native fish. I do run across a good number of people ice fishing these days, but I try to do the majority of ice fishing in NYS. I hunt only my on property, as I find it hypocritical to own posted huntable ground and then hunt the state forest.

This thread started as a discussion over fly fisherman being perceived as elitist. I shared some encounters of mine, being that I grew up on a well known stream in the NC region. I pointed out how in the past things of a condescending nature were said on this forum about residents of my county. I was asked to prove it and did. Rather than owning up to what was said, some have decided to insinuate what I should and shouldn’t be proud to be called.

I have no issue with the majority of people that come to my region. Most folks are good people. Around 11 percent of this regions economy depends on tourism of some sort. However, perhaps due to the location of my childhood home, the majority of my encounters with rude, snobbish, or entitled people have often been with fly fisherman.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I’m sorry, am I the one who called bait fisherman retarded?

I have seen this act from you before. You are trying to goad someone into insulting you so you can play the victim. I am not sure why you get off on this, but it is clear at this point that you do.

Here is what I know about you based off of your postings here:

You don't like the PFBC
You don't like WCO's
You don't like people coming to Potter county.
You don't like people that live in Potter county that were not born there.
You don't like other fly fisherman.
You don't like anyone else's opinions about anything.

Guys, just stop feeding this troll. At this point it is my opinion that they are likely a former poster that got scorned and is here to stir the pot.

Cznymph, to you I bid adeu as I am hitting the ignore button. I wish you all the best.

 

[Swattie87]

Pot, meet kettle.

I don’t think Kettle Creek needs any more attention.

Where is Pot Creek? Can’t say I’ve fished that one.

 

[BradFromPotter]

I have seen this act from you before. You are trying to goad someone into insulting you so you can play the victim. I am not sure why you get off on this, but it is clear at this point that you do.

Here is what I know about you based off of your postings here:

You don't like the PFBC
You don't like WCO's
You don't like people coming to Potter county.
You don't like people that live in Potter county that were not born there.
You don't like other fly fisherman.
You don't like anyone else's opinions about anything.

Guys, just stop feeding this troll. At this point it is my opinion that they are likely a former poster that got scorned and is here to stir the pot.

Cznymph, to you I bid adeu as I am hitting the ignore button. I wish you all the best.

He also doesn't like people from Wellsboro, one county over.

 

[Acristickid]

A spin rod is a spin rod

 

[BradFromPotter]

You’re not the one who gets to decide that. I don’t care to see my friends, my family and myself stereotyped as uneducated hillbillies.

I’ve shown you multiple instances of fly fishermen on this forum using derogatory language towards rural residents, bait fisherman and others. You asked to see proof, I showed you. You refused to read the examples I provided. You then claimed that it’s not a big deal you don’t get to be upset about that.

I don't get to decide what?

There are as many uneducated hillbillies in Chester & Lancaster counties as there are here in Potter. Also, as many educated non-hillbillies here in Potter.

 

[dudemanspecial]

He also doesn't like people from Wellsboro, one county over.

I actually had that in my post originally, but couldn't remember for sure if that was him or not.

 

[BradFromPotter]

I actually had that in my post originally, but couldn't remember for sure if that was him or not.

He doesn't like people who don't want chickens in their towns.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I don't get to decide what?

There are as many uneducated hillbillies in Chester & Lancaster counties as there are here in Potter. Also, as many educated non-hillbillies here in Potter.

Seriously. I grew up 1 mile outside of a "town" called Farmersville. The entire side of my dad's family are PA Dutchies. My dad was the first one in generations to finish high school, so we can talk about uneducated. Probably a lot of folks would call my dad a "redneck". He'd just laugh and say 'yep'. So, sure-there are parts of Lancaster that are FAR from rural. Not where I grew up. PA has large swaths of rural areas.

I'm just not sure who brought up the "non-educated"? Calling people who litter, or who rip through streams on ATVs "bubbas" or rednecks or whatever-it's not saying anything about their education, only their behavior. I have yet to see a post where ANYONE came anywhere close to stating "Everyone who lives in Potter or Tioga or Clinton Co. are a bunch of uneducated hilljacks!"

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Again, you don’t get to decide what people like or don’t like to be called. Just because you moved out out of the burbs and into WV doesn’t make you an expert in rural affairs.

I frankly have grown very tired of the down state crowd treating people of my area like garbage. I believe you were part of a recent thread chastising rural residents for the appearance of their property.

I’ve seen enough of this behavior out of fly fisherman as a lifelong resident of potter county. I don’t think that living within 15 minutes of a metro area with 300,000 people really makes you qualified to speak on the subject.

Yup. I was. I'm not sympathetic to ANYONE who litters or junks up everyone's 'hood. I don't care if it's WV, or PC, or in the middle of a city. And don't tell me it's "cultural"...because at that point, it's not me who is insulting "your people"...

In that thread I believe it was you blaming the trash on the flatlanders. When I pointed out that when I came across seriously trashed residencies last Fall that clearly did not belong to flatlanders, you quickly changed the narrative to, basically, "property owners have a right to trash their land". Which, they do. No doubt. Doesn't make it right, or good, or acceptable-and doesn't make those people any less of a slob than the tools who litter along the highway. Only difference is between private and public land. But it's all the same mindset that says "I'd rather throw this trash off my back porch" and "I'd rather throw this trash out my car window". It's really an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. If the trash is out of my car, it's out of my mind. If it's chucked into the woods and I don't see it, its out of my mind, and therefore, not my problem anymore".

I also-in that same thread-pushed back on people who claimed that the reason people littered was lack of education or financial status. I was the one making the case that people being slobs crosses all demographics. You only read what you wanted to read, apparently.

I've never lived win 15 minutes of a "metro area" with 300k people. EVER. So I have no idea who you're talking about. For most of my life I've lived BASICALLY amongst the Amish and Mennonites, and half of my dad's family are PA Dutchies who didn't speak English til they went to Kindergarten. So my "rural experience" is hardly limited to living in WV.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

It cracks me up when people get so offended by someone's freedom of speech and attempts to place labels of them for labeling.😂

Welcome to America.

Personally I don't care what people like or don't like to be called, but I do get to decide what I call them. Same with you. Quit whining about it and enjoy your rights.