Seeing is Believing?
Now that I am in the “news-free zone,” I find myself stretching to find things to listen to on the radio on the way out to the Shale, and I’m pretty sure I have added ten years to the short life of our humble flat screen TV at home.
On the way toward the Red River today, I settled on Garrison Keillor, on Dallas’ NPR at 90.1 KERA. Garrison was talking about this mega storm, NEMO, that is hitting them with a little more snow today, and he said, “Go outside. Look at it, but don’t take pictures. No. Don’t take pictures because … ,” (paraphrasing) if you take pictures, then you won’t have to talk about it, and the story can’t get bigger, bigger snow drifts and bigger, more “epic” struggles would be debunked. Of course, Garrison Keillor lives by the sound waves, and he does draw the most interesting images in our minds doesn’t he?
That thought, and the drive time to work it over, made me consider the state of photographs and stories in our fly fishing corner of the word and image world. There’s been a distinct and measurable drop-off in participation on discussion boards no matter the subject, with the old hands walking away after the fiftieth “Newbie” same question pops on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Couple that with the fact that discussion boards are extremely vulnerable to cyber attack and instability, and you can see the end of that format is very, very near.
If you look at the discussion boards today (just to make it interesting), you will find a lot of huge claims to catching lots of big fish – right now, in North Texas! My first instinct is to hit the reply button and type, “Seeing is believing.” There’s never been much tell without the show, at least not in my ramblings.
Before I even hit the reply button, I think better of it. We’re telling “fish stories,” and we know that the balance between fish and stories can be measured on a Boga Grip – with the scale tipping toward stories and away from actual fish. The composition of the stories can smell worse pond-for-pound at times, if you know what I mean. Jokes about fishermen and story telling are legion. And that’s why I don’t reply, and don’t call folks out (anymore) – their stories are what spreads the fever, be it real or hypochondriacal. Sure I would catch the fever if I saw pictures of seventy bass last week, but I’m wondering … does anybody care about accuracy and truth anymore?
Along with our new Texas Fly Caster website, and the pursuit of the “Spiritual Fly Fisher,” I think we need a big heap of steaming fiction writing added to the mix at Texas Fly Caster.
What’s not fiction, is a Valentine’s Day in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this week. I am walking away from the Shale for a few days, and we are going to escape to the north side of Santa Fe – staying (at off season rates) at the Lodge across from the National Cemetery. Somehow, there are a few extra days on the calendar there, and I may just come back with a report on something spicy.
Before we know it, it will be time for the TPWD Freshwater Fisheries Fly Fishing event, and more intense fishing as spring really does finally spring. Maybe I can finally break in the new GoPro Black on some fish fodder for the site. I am experimenting with the camera now, and let’s just say; intuition be damned when it comes to a GoPro!
Does anyone know anything about satellite radio?
Category: Culture on the Skids, Photography, Writing
