Eric Burnley's Report on our Last Meeting at Henlopen ?

[Bill Michelinie]

I just so happens that Eric was fishing at Henlopen the evening of our last meeting. In case you don't know, Eric Burnley is the former editor of The Fisherman. Here is a link to his article from The Cape Gazette about his experience:

http://www.capegazette.com/pages/outdoors.html

I can't tell if he is "fly curious" or he he making fun of us. Read it for yourself and you decide.

[OneMoreCast]

Hey Bill... yes I would agree that he's being a bit of a wise guy. I could quote it but why bother... I take particular offense to the "not a strain on the resource"... kinda sounds like we don't catch too much.
What it boils down to is this.. if he was poking fun.. let him poke fun. We know the truth. Fly fishing is like playing hockey with a 2 foot goal. It's just harder. You have to be better... you have to know more. So... if he wants to poke fun, it probably means he isn't good enough to attempt the sport.
If he really thinks we don't catch fish, I'd be happy to meet him at henlopen on Saturday. Maybe a little challenge? How about most fluke while wading in a 3 hour period? Ill use my fly rod... he can use whatever

[tarpon1]

I have been in his company a few times and he has always had nothing good to say about Fly Fishing. I do not think he knows even a "hole in the ground". If you go to most shops in the shore area they do not know Flyfishing and do not want to. Now that some IRI spin guys are using flys to catch fish they want to carry flies. I wanted to send a "comment to the editor" to the paper but that may be just what Eric wants.
Rick

[Bill O]

I found it interesting that he mentions he was fishing with a Clouser on a spinning rod while he was poking fun at us or ripping us, depending on your point of view.
I'm also having a little bit of a hard time believing he didn't know we were having a meeting there that night. I've been to Henlopen fishing many, many times, as have many of us in the club, and have ~never~ seen him there. So, he just happens to show up with a spinning rod and a camera on that night? Hmmm...
How 'bout this Eric - I won't rip you in our club newsletter for being too lazy to learn how to cast a fly 30 ft. to catch fish at Henlopen and using a spinning rod with a sinker and fly instead and you won't rip/poke fun at us in your column. [grin]

[don1]

As usual Eric B. has to knock fly fishing. I wonder if he really understands what its like to enjoy new challenges and to practice skills in the fishing sport. What I suggest is - send him all our reports on fish caught on a fly; maybe it will stick in his head. His email is Eburnle@aol.com BUT He did say we all are devoted, do meet, participate, & have a good time. He can't be all BAD, besides he hates the dark!.

[Ken Tidy]

Burnley is a dick and doesn’t have a clue about fly fishing, I queried him about doing fly fishing articles for the fisherman and he blew me off saying nobody would read them, He did however stiff me on some photos of mine he published in the magazine, and then lost my slides!

[KJR]

Hey Ken, maybe your not a very good outdoor writer and think to highly of yourself, possibly compensating... I just finished reading his book "Surf Fishing The Atlantic Coast", excellent reading material and instruction he wrote as a young man, he even discuses using a “FLY” as a dropper when casting plugs. This could be considered a form of combined fly fishing. That sounds nice "Combined Fly Fishing®"

[saltfly]

it looks like there is a new article there now. but i have read his stuff once or twice. so as you can expect. i don't waste my time any more. most outdoor writers are a$$'s. there are really only a few that are any good and know what they are doing. most, depend on some one else to show them, where and how to fish. as for him writing about using dropers on spinning. well lets see. i know people that were doing that back in the 50's. so i wonder where he got it from???

[Bill Michelinie]

Yeah, Walt, they must change the outdoors article on the web page with each new issue of The Cape Gazette. I kept a copy so here is the part about the club:

On Wednesday, May 10, I fished the beach between the Cape Henlopen pier and the private pier to the north.

I was casting a Berkley Power Shad with a Clouser fly as a teaser. The tide was rising as the sun was setting, the perfect time to be there.

When I arrived there were a few fly fishermen working the same area. Actually, there were more fly fishermen talking in the parking lot than fishing, but that’s a part of the fishing experience.

About 6:30 everyone disappeared and I thought no wonder they don’t catch anything, they go home right when the action should begin.

A short time later they all came back, even the ones who were talking in the parking lot actually began to fish. There must have been 30 or more fly casters and one lonely spin fisherman on that piece of beach.

I caught my first fish of the evening, a 20-inch rock, on the Berkley shad about the time all the fly casters began filling the air with flying Clousers.

My second fish was a bit smaller, but put up a gallant fight on my light tackle.
By now it was getting dark and I don’t fish in the dark, si I packed up and headed for the truck.

On the way down the beach I ran into Don Avondolio, the founder of the Delaware Flyfishing Club and the reason for the invasion became clear. The club had a meeting at the Cape Henlopen Pier followed by a fishing trip and I was just lucky enough to be on the beach at the same time.

As much as I like to kid with my fly fishing friends, they do come out for their meetings.

This is a group of men and women who are devoted to their sport and go out of their way to participate. True, they don’t put much of a strain on the resource, but they have a good time doing it.