POCONOS PRIVATE FISHING CLUBS...

[ryansheehan]

ryc72 wrote:
The streams may be busy but what is the average age of the people you see every year? Is the age getting higher or lower? There may be a lot of people now but how many people will there be in 10 or 20 years? Look at golf as a comparison. The average person playing golf is getting older and older and fewer and fewer people are playing. Definitely not signs of a growing sport.

I don't have any stats to back this up but I see the opposite where I am fishing. More young fisherman than when I was young. I know this is a tiny sample size and does not make it true in other places.

 

[ryc72]

I could be completely off base as well. My experience is very limited in terms of geography and time. It's a wonderful sport that I think if given a chance that lots of different people regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status can enjoy. It's just been my experience fly fishing that it's older guys. I hope that I am mistaken and the sport is growing in both participation and demographics. The larger the constituent base is the easier it is to make the sport and the resources (land and water) supporting it better for everyone.

 

[salmonoid]

SteveG wrote:
With the direction the fishing community, and specifically fly fishing community is going with regard to conservation and wild fish, I'd imagine that most of these clubs will be a thing of the past in years to come. The only folks I know who belong to any type of club are older, and it doesn't sound like they have many youngsters filling their ranks.

Youngsters get gray eventually. Private clubs are nothing new. I run into evidence of old stream improvements on some streams that are not currently stocked, and I am certain they must have been club waters. Interesting mix of opinions on this topic, ranging from FFing is dying, everyone is an old geezer, to an observation of the increase of privatization of stream access.

 

[troutbert]

ryc72 wrote:
The streams may be busy but what is the average age of the people you see every year? Is the age getting higher or lower? There may be a lot of people now but how many people will there be in 10 or 20 years? Look at golf as a comparison. The average person playing golf is getting older and older and fewer and fewer people are playing. Definitely not signs of a growing sport.

When people retire they have more time to do things like fly fish.

I first went to a TU meeting in about 1970. Most of the people there had grey hair.

When I go to a TU meeting now, 46 years later, most of the people have grey hair.

But they aren't the same people. :-o

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Plenty of young people from what I can tell.I see a lot of the damn flatbrimmers taking over my sport with their newfangled euronymphing crap...they apparently never learned to properly present a dry fly from what I can tell

old duffers join TU and such just to feel connected to something they used to do....its very unfortunate that they are too feeble to wade and fish anymore and all they can do is watch presentations by young hot shots of the flyfishing "industry" giving slide shows about exotic places they'll never get to see.

I used to hate private clubs but they have their place.They keep some of the wealthy snobs off the public areas I like to go.

I hate to see almost all of Spruce Creek private and really hated that thing on the Little J. If it was up to me the gov't would declare all streams and a portion of bank as belonging to the public. It would be taken by eminent domain for the good of the people. You know like the oil companies do for the pipelines.

 

[ryc72]

Flatbrimmers!!! That's awesome! Absolutely hysterical!

 

[Gone4Day]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
Plenty of young people from what I can tell.I see a lot of the damn flatbrimmers taking over my sport with their newfangled euronymphing crap...they apparently never learned to properly present a dry fly from what I can tell

old duffers join TU and such just to feel connected to something they used to do....its very unfortunate that they are too feeble to wade and fish anymore and all they can do is watch presentations by young hot shots of the flyfishing "industry" giving slide shows about exotic places they'll never get to see.

I used to hate private clubs but they have their place.They keep some of the wealthy snobs off the public areas I like to go.

I hate to see almost all of Spruce Creek private and really hated that thing on the Little J. If it was up to me the gov't would declare all streams and a portion of bank as belonging to the public. It would be taken by eminent domain for the good of the people. You know like the oil companies do for the pipelines.

Post of the Year!

 

[ryansheehan]

foxtrapper1972 wrote:
Plenty of young people from what I can tell.I see a lot of the damn flatbrimmers taking over my sport with their newfangled euronymphing crap...they apparently never learned to properly present a dry fly from what I can tell

old duffers join TU and such just to feel connected to something they used to do....its very unfortunate that they are too feeble to wade and fish anymore and all they can do is watch presentations by young hot shots of the flyfishing "industry" giving slide shows about exotic places they'll never get to see.

I used to hate private clubs but they have their place.They keep some of the wealthy snobs off the public areas I like to go.

I hate to see almost all of Spruce Creek private and really hated that thing on the Little J. If it was up to me the gov't would declare all streams and a portion of bank as belonging to the public. It would be taken by eminent domain for the good of the people. You know like the oil companies do for the pipelines.

Somehow picturing fox in a flat brimmed hat really makes me laugh!

 

[Tigereye]

I did belong to a club years ago but found that after a few years my skills had gone stale. I couldn't fish other places successfully. After waiting years to join I ended up quitting in 3 years and never looked back. There are plenty of public streams with great fishing. Lehigh R, McMichaels Brodehead to name a few.

Not saying that club fishing is easy but fishing over fish that are freshly stocked every week loses its luster shortly. It did for me.

I know there is a lot of controversy about fishing clubs and their place in the fishing community. I will not contribute to that. Spend time on the streams and hone your skills. It is then you become a FISHERMAN

 

[hooker-of-men]

fisherboy3 wrote:
Pohoqualine seems to be the best for keeping things basic in terms of fish. They only stock smaller rainbows and brookies and they holdover. They arent fed either. 10 miles of Mcmichaels creek in which the size of the stream there is comparable to some brookie streams. It really is nice water and if i was to ever join a club it would be that one. It is the cheapest, and has some really cool history being one of the oldest clubs in the country. I only know of all the club info because I have a buddy who works for a club.

They were advertising a job opening for help with their kitchen/dinner service over the summer. I wondered if that would come with the opportunity to fish. Would be a decent perk for a crappy summer job.


Also, a message to all private club members who are concerned their membership is growing too grey: Hit me up! I'm 35 and a totally cool dude and I will sit on the porch of your club after a long day of fishing your private water and smoke cigars and drink bourbon to help you rebrand.

N.B.: I'm poor.

 

[k-bob]

since the op lists NY as his location, this is a good book with nice coverage of the poconos:

https://www.amazon.com/Flyfishers-Guide-Big-Apple/dp/1932098836/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1481758401&sr=8-1-fkmr2

 

[ryc72]

K-bob, thank you! Just ordered it.