Off the Fly Fishing Tracks

How Far Off the Tracks?

If you have been with Texas Fly Caster as long as I have, since 2007, then you know we can get off the tracks from time-to-time. The original track we still ride is; fly fishing, music, beer & food, as well as a catch-all “culture on the skids” that gives free reign to occasionally get off the track, way off the track.

Before we go steaming through posts on Louisiana (including a week in the Crescent City area), and another IFA tournament quickly approaching in Corpus Christi, Texas, I just want to see if there are any objections to going way off the tracks in between destinations? The train will still run on time, but some unscheduled stops could be interesting.

I want to take a minute to bring readers up to speed on the state of things at Texas Fly Caster.

For whatever reason daily readership continues to explode, while comments and constructive comments that could add to, or correct, a post do not. Perhaps Texas Fly Caster contains perfect writing and content, but I bet not. Perhaps Texas Fly Caster, like most blogs and message boards, suffers from the same pervasive infection – lurker’s disease. Regardless, I appreciate the readers, and lurkers, and shoppers who purchase from the affiliates and the “Fly Shop” on this site.

Sometimes blogging geeks take your knowledge of internet terms for granted. What is “lurker’s disease” you would logically ask? Lurkers, in participative website terms, are people who read, read, read (others substitute the word “take” for read), and never put back by commenting. It is pervasive in the participative community right now, and becomes endemic on a site that allows “flaming” of each other in comments. Obviously, there’s no “flaming” going on in our posts on Texas Fly Caster, the “Message Boards,” or on the new TexasFlyReports.com. If you still haven’t visited the TFRs site, and you want to catch more fish, learn more, and know more people, then you should check it out. I can guarantee you that in my small role on that site, there will be common courtesy extended in every direction and no “flaming” comments. With all this said, there’s no need to ask for participation on posts or boards. It comes when it comes, and tripling or quadrupling readership (as has already happened) again, should bring the traffic that’s willing to participate.

Now, let’s delve into the detours ahead, and let fishing simmer on the Texas back burner summer. There will be a post on the Red River Meteor, fishing with MirrOlures, horny toads, website design (TFC goes under the knife this fall), and a sprinkling posts directly related to fly fishing – the AFFTA show in New Orleans. Closer to home, I’ll be researching and developing a post on kayak lighting for fishing at night that also includes techniques and flies for largemouth bass fishing at night. Sometime in August, a promo for the new Kayak Fishing Chronicles should be ready to show as well. That could be interesting fodder. Heck, I just hope it’s interesting. There’s also the looming restoration of the Airstream, a project that promises to take us on the road for years, or (at least) weeks on end.

Tags: AFFTA, Airstream Trailer, louisiana fly fishing, meteor, mirrolure, off topic

Category: Culture on the Skids, OFF TOPIC, On The Road