East vs. West Fly Fishing

Photo: USDA NRCS Montana/Flickr

In a recent story over at Field & Stream, Joe Cermele and Miles Nolte take turns debating which fly anglers are better: those from the West, or back East?

It’s a tongue-in-cheek discussion, of course, but you might find a bit of merit in their meanderings. If nothing else, it’s an entertaining look at the stark differences between the two largest fishing subcultures in America.

Cemerle argues for the eastern anglers, and the crux of his argument is that fly fishing in the West is too easy to make any anglers out there “good.”

“I’ve never felt that pressure on a Western river,” Cermele said. “Maybe it’s because I know with so many more trout per square mile, I’m likely to move more fish or get more shots at sippers. Maybe it’s because even if I whiff the browns, I’ll at least smack 25 cutties. But no matter what the river throws at me in the West I’m not worried about it because I cut my teeth on East Coast trout.”

Nolte fired back, saying East Coast anglers are insufferable.

“They all show up with unrealistic expectations, and when those expectations crash against the rocks of reality, guess who they blame? Everybody but themselves.”

Again, it’s an interesting read, and you can find the whole thing here.