The GOAT (I’m guessing part 1.)

Relax everyone, please close out of your emails, and stop writing a post for the board. I have no urge to name names when it comes to this question. I may hint at a few, but the true question for me is, “If I wanted to be the greatest to ever fish a fly, then what would I have to accomplish to deserve the designation “The GOAT.” 

Sure, it’s easy to start by saying that these two individuals are by far the most well-known fly fishers outside our tight-knit community of fly enthusiasts, and thus establish them as the greatest. While there might be some merit to that approach, I believe that more than just notoriety is required to be considered the greatest of all time. For instance, it would be simple to argue that anyone who has won the World Casting Championships several times, still holds casting world records, and has designed some of the most influential fly rods could be deemed the greatest fly caster of all time. But would that alone be enough to determine their greatness among us? You might point to a guide with a widely watched fly fishing TV show, who has won numerous tournaments and broken many records, as deserving of recognition. However, if that’s all they accomplished, would it truly be sufficient? You may also argue that the pioneers of the sport, who paved the way for modern equipment and lines, have had a tremendous impact on the industry, but does that automatically make them the greatest?

I see a theme here. I decided that it would be interesting to ask a few people what they thought of this question, and just see where this line of questioning led. Now, who do you ask? You can’t just show up at a fly shop or on the Board and say, “ who is the greatest fly fisher ever, and why?” Well I suppose you could, but that would get you about as far along as you were when you started. So, I had to ask the right people the right question. So, I asked, “What would I have to do to be considered the greatest fly fisher of all time?” I asked, Bill Gammel, Rick Hartman, Bruce Richards, Lance Egan, Brian O'Keefe, Andy Dear, and Paul Arden. If you don’t like my selection of people, I would love to know why? Email me @ idontreallycare@gmail.com .

There were certainly mixed reviews when it came to the value of this question. For example, most said it would be impossible to come up with an objective set of qualifications, and then use them to determine who the person would be. Also, some felt that to chase greatness is fine, but to actively try to become the greatest of all time might go against many of the core principles that make us fly fishing nuts to begin with. Maybe the drive to eat, breathe, and sleep fly fishing, and do as much as I can to be the greatest of all time is a psychological defect of yours truly. BUT I still want to know what it would take.  Notably one person was mentioned a couple of times, and considering the group I talked to… that might really be saying something. 

Now, understand that I am an American, and understand that I am aware that means I will receive biased information about who in particular is the greatest of all time. However, the facts of what they did throughout their career can give us an idea of what one needs to do. Here are a few thoughts that I have had, and a few ideal qualifications that the people I asked came up with. 

1. Are they well known? Maybe not by society at large, but by the people that matter.
2. Can they fish? Certainly not just one fish or type of fishing. Can they really fish?
3. Can they cast? Maybe they haven’t won worlds, but can they cast any fly rod any way with success and efficiency? I may have a distance in feet in mind, but I’m a nerd. 
4. Do they know the game? Knots, flies, terminology, reels, tactics, fish behavior?
5. Are they innovative? Do they create rods, lines, flies, types of knots, books, artwork, or anything that is considered common knowledge today? Do they catch fish no one else can or could before they did? 
6. Do they know the water? Can they navigate a vessel? Pole deep  flats, row fast rivers,  and/or wade Big water?
7. Are they teachers? Do they pass their knowledge on to the next generation and their peers? Will the knowledge they pass along survive the years?
8. Do they have longevity? How many years of the fly life does it take to be considered? 30, 40, 50 years?
9. Do they win? Maybe they don’t get first place at everything, but do they or could they make a showing at tournaments and competitions? 
10. Do they catch record fish, or do they catch several large for the species fish, or previously thought impossible fish?

If I were to turn this into a decathlon, how many categories would one need to be in the top five of all time? Are certain achievements more significant than others? I’m not sure that a weekend warrior would invest nearly as much time and effort into fly fishing as someone who relies on it full-time to pay the bills.

1. Do they earn a living on some aspect of fly fishing? 

We, as a part of the fly fishing community, are very aware that most of the rest of the world could care less about our sport. It’s truly up to us to keep the history, techniques, flies, and so on moving along to the people that fill our waders.The fly game ends when the last person passes it on. So…

1.  Do they have an impact on the people who are starting fly fishing today?

I hope you guys like to participate, because if you don’t, then I am going to decide on my own what it takes to be the GOAT. I may go as far as to decide, for all of us, who exactly that person is, but only if I don’t hear back from you. In order to get a grasp on this idea, Let’s rate the eleven suggested skills necessary, and maybe suggest some that I didn’t come up with. 

I’m still not interested in naming names at this point, but for the person that sticks out in your mind, Why?

Real email: kalyn@theflyroad.com