The Most Important and Fulfilling Reason to Join a Fly fishing Club

[Tippet]

True confession. I am a fly fishing addict. I started fly fishing 36 years ago and have been a member of the Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club in Spokane for the last 26 years. I recently was reminiscing about my fly fishing experiences over the years and how my life has been enriched so much by being a member of the IEFFC. I realized that as much as I treasure the friendships and fishing knowledge that I have gained in my interactions with club members, the most significant and important part of being a a member of the club isn't what I personally gain from it. The most important part of being a member of a club is the opportunity to it gives you to pool your time, talents, and resources with those of 120 other people to give back and enhance fly fishing and fishing in general through service projects that enhance fishing opportunities for everybody! Some of the opportunities that our club members have had over the years to enhance and improve the fishing and fly fishing experience for everybody include:

Grand Ronde River land acquisition - partnership with Wild Steelhead Coalition to acquire 8 critical access acres on the lower Grand Ronde River.
The land was donated to Washington DFW to provide public access in perpetuity
helping to teach fly fishing, fly casting, and fly tying classes to beginners
supporting Kids Fishing Day each year, both financially and with volunteers
taking kids from the Ronald McDonald House and Morningstar Boys Ranch to breakfast and to Kids Fishing Day each year
helping the state with fin clipping at fish hatcheries
annually rehabbing the Bayley Lake inlet spawning channel
annually providing 2 scholarships to Eastern Washington State University to help support students training in Fisheries Biology
grants to the Land Council, Friends of the Little Pend Oreille, and Spokane River Keeper
large annual donation to Toys for Tots
Amber Lake - work projects for periodic boat ramp rehab and angler information signs
Medical Lake - angler information signs
Coffeepot Lake - angler information signs
Fourth of July Lake - shoreline cleanup
McDowell Lake - help with lake rehab in 2006
work projects over the years at Lenice, Nunnally, Bobby, West Medical, Phalen, and Browns lakes and the Spokane, Little Spokane, North Fork of
the Coeur d'Alene, Rocky Ford, and St. Joe Rivers
publishing 6 editions of Flies of the Northwest book

For me, being an active participating member of my fly fishing club and giving back to the sport through service that enhances the fishing experience for EVERYBODY is the most important and significant reason to join a fly fishing club, as much as I enjoy the camaraderie, speakers, new knowledge, raffles, etc.

 

[WonkyWapiti]

I've been thinking recently of joining a fly fishing club. I'm just worried I don't have enough time with my crazy work schedule. I know I need to make time.

 

[Dblhaul]

I joined a club a few years back, it took a lot of time just to get to the meetings, they had a great history of doing great work and restoration projects. Now, not so much. Now that I have retired I would be more interested in club events. As it is, I travel to fish and enjoy life.

 

[Zak]

I joined Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmunds. Nice group of folks, supports conservation efforts, and the club has lots of outings. Like @WonkyWapiti I have a crazy busy work schedule and miss nearly all the club meetings and outings. But I pay my dues and they don't seem to mind!

 

[Tippet]

My experience in my club certainly validates the fact that younger members have a more difficult time attending meetings, activities, and service projects regularly. Younger members often have less control over work schedules. They often have more competing interests such as raising a family, other hobbies, etc. Nevertheless, I believe that younger members play a critical role by invigorating and enhancing the experience of a club. They can help foster interest in newer aspects of the fly fishing world such as Tenkara and euronymphing and provide a newer, fresher perspective on life in general. When I was a younger member, I just did what I COULD do and gave what I COULD give without getting my life out of balance. My activity in the club increased a lot when my wife and I became emptynesters and REALLY increased when I retired from my very demanding profession. It was still a wonderful experience for me to be a part of something bigger than me that allowed me to give back by enhancing the fishing opportunities for all fly fishers. In return, what started out as just acquaintances and casual friendships during my early years [n the club has evolved into deep, incredibly satisfying friendships based on mutual trust, service to each other through hard times, health issues, etc., and time spent together on the water and working on service projects.

 

[Canuck from Kansas]

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member" - Groucho Marx - words I live by.

cheers

 

[Stonedfish]

I kind of consider this forum and the old forum to be my fly club.
Have met and fished with some great folks based on my participation on both.
SF

 

[Dloy]

I agree SF, me too.
But I guess the next question could be: “Should we as a group undertake FF related projects?” My guess is that it would be difficult due to the larger geographic membership.
I belonged to a private Golf Club for quite a while but realized in the end that I’m just not a “Clubby” guy. Maybe a completely different thing, but I have attended some FF related events/meetings and it seemed like there was a hierarchy that I didn’t want to get into. Personal bias probably.

 

[SurfnFish]

wait...this isn't a fly fishing club I joined?

 

[Tom Butler]

I was a member of the local club for a while, didn't find it helpful or to my taste. I burned out after being president of the bike club for so many years, I don't get to formally involved any more, just give money and do my part. I agree, this clubhouse works for me.