Happy New Year!
Time for Looking Back in Front of Us
A ton of thinking weighed in over these past Holiday 2024 weeks. Reemphasis and redirection and refocus were all on the dessert plate for many short days and long nights. The sweetness of success in 2024, related to this site an the YouTube Channel, was not nearly enough for a sugar high. While the bitterness of a few EPIC failures? It lingers.
It was made obvious to me, over this holiday time, that I have no business trying to attract new female fly fishers to be part of the Texas Fly Caster website or YouTube Channel. A simple outreach to women fly fishers was privately crotch kicked in an Instagram message from a woman I specifically asked to have a look at the two articles I generated (and wrote some of) on lack of entry of women into the sport, and the use of fly fishing as only a “component” of some women’s social media advancement formulas. (PLEASE READ THE NEW EDITORIAL NOTE AT BOTTOM OF THS ARTICLE)
So virulent, and so subjective (picking and choosing conceived slights out of the objective articles), was the response that I could only conclude – the articles were too difficult for some people to comprehend, and that outreach to the female population – to try and interest them in fly fishing – is absolutely pointless in this poisoned era of hate, distrust and heightened anger against men, ALL Men. I myself struggle to comprehend … Sure it is historically justified to a large extent, but there are genuine people who want to grow this sport across all the boundaries. You guys out there, have at it! And let me know how that goes for YOU!
But, I found a fly fishing boundary I cannot cross, so you are going to notice and see in videos, I will no longer be attempting to broaden the loop to include women – be it in writing or video. Lesson learned. Walk away. I tried. Over and out. You girl readers and Instagram leaders? have fun with it …
The Wholistic Fly Fisher© Takes a Shape
I have invested enough time and thought in the future major topic of Baby Boomer fly fishers, and the things we encounter as aging fly fishers who still want to go full-speed ahead without the limitations coming at us from all directions now. It is time to start rolling it out – FOR MEN of all ages – here and now.
Rather than alienate an entire huge segment of the fly fishing world, I will still be going at the topics new and younger fly fishers have come to enjoy on the Fly Fishing YouTube Channel and here in writing. Although, it is obvious, statistically, that the readers are Baby Boomers, the watchers on Texas Fly Caster YouTube are Baby Boomers and the rest of the youthful demographic is fading way behind this following. BELIEVE it or not, you youngsters will all be looking for this information … someday.
Following MY demographic lead isn’t the only reason for The Wholistic Fly Fisher© though. Ten years after cancer took me down to a measly 135-pounds, I have battled back to being overweight and out of shape myself. I need to engage the enemy – aging – as well, and starting now! If this sounds like a “New Year’s Resolution,”? It’s really not.
Once you get to a certain age, it’s not a “New Year,” it’s simply another year realizing you might just be rewarded with, or sentenced to another one after this one. You realize fly fishing opportunities may just present themselves – THIS YEAR – and you want to be ready for whatever comes whenever it comes. Not only am I not ready physically, I don’t even have a fresh f’n passport in hand! Do you? Don’t kick the bucket! Kick the bucket list where it hurts!
Don’t Forget!
There is a mailing list you may not have heard of! The Texas Fly Fishing Mailing list, and if you subscribe to it, you will get some summaries and advanced tips for the upcoming seasons. I have also taken some time to create a YouTube Membership Only grouping of videos that are curated for your beginners and Hot Topics in the fly fishing industry, like the entirely NEW series “How to Start Your Own Fly Shop” in 2025. That series is based on my experiences opening up the Los Pescadores Coffee & Outfitters shop on South Padre Island, Texas, in 2022-2023. By the way, it is NOW CLOSED, and I can tell you why fly shops close – just subscribe to the Texas Fly Caster Members YouTube Class.
FLY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (FLYAI)
The presence of articles generated by ChatGPT here at Texas Fly Caster has been a huge benefit to me and to readers in the past year. By letting a bot write about topics that are general, and informational, or scientific and beyond my time constraints to research; the quality and volume of GOOD FLY FISHING INFORMATION has expanded greatly in 2024 – more than any single year in the last eighteen. It gives me time to actually write about the things that need a human touch, and not a reference book approach. I cannot begin to tell you what this new technology is doing in the area of time saving for whatever time I have left! The honing of the bot to my demands is blatantly obvious, and what began as, “..we do not have enough information to generate a story…” has been quickly replaced by comprehensive fly fishing stories, and historical documentations – – – in a matter of seconds. What else will the future bring?
EDITORIAL END NOTE
As a writer and the editor of this website in year eighteen, a new rule for your participation is in order from January 1, 2025, and forward. I will not respond to any content (stories / videos) comments that come from any other sources (facebook / text messages / emails / messages on Instagram / private messages on other websites) for a couple of reasons. ONE, if you have something to say, say it here – loud and proud. TWO, I cannot get to all these other message resources as often as you can. Those sources linger and wait until I get there. It may be weeks or months before I see your message. Thank you for your cooperation in solving this age-old communication problem. FEEL FREE TO SPEAK UP HERE!
Category: Adventure, Body-Mind-Soul, Fly Fisher Health and Wellness, Wholistic Fly Fisher
