| The one thing I have always enjoyed about fishing is | | | | As long as they were made of sheeps wool, the |
| that you rarely see anyone wearing a tie.I suppose | | | | flyfisherman could use the "fuzzy tie" to have even a |
| there is the occasional urban lunchtime warrior who | | | | greater drying pad to keep his caddis, royal |
| might race from his cubicle to the Hudson river to | | | | coachman, and brindle bugs handy and at the ready |
| get a few casts in for some glow-in-the-dark fish, | | | | for quick pattern change out.But enough about the |
| but ties are certainly not the norm when it comes to | | | | tie.Fashion, as a general rule has escaped the fishing |
| suiting up for a days fishing on the river.When it | | | | world.This is a world where despite the efforts of |
| comes to high fashion in the fishing world, a button | | | | Orvis and L.L. Bean, plaid is still the king, the t-shirt is |
| up fast drying high tech shirt is about as close to | | | | still considered standard issue and drab greens and |
| fashionable as it gets.Unless of course you count the | | | | brown tones rule the day.Thank goodness, because I |
| plaid jacket!!As it is, I can't quite figure out the | | | | know the day is coming -when the Gods of fashion |
| purpose of the necktie anyway.Who in their right | | | | will begin to turn the fishing world upside down with |
| mind would come up with a part of the male | | | | trendy nouveau styles and colors.Before long, tall, |
| wardrobe to wrap around your neck, and then cinch | | | | emaciated, high cheek boned beauties will be "walking |
| it up tight, and consider this a vital part of the | | | | the runway", in Jordache waders showing us the |
| function of clothing.For Gods sake,this is what they | | | | latest designs of, breathable yet flattering river wear, |
| would do to condemned men just before they drop | | | | in purple,yellow, floral and .......dare I say it....TAUPE!! |
| the floor out from under them, to create a rather | | | | Especially since more and more women are taking up |
| discomforting constriction about the windpipe and | | | | the sport of flyfishing, can high fashion be far |
| neck.I could understand it if the tie somehow held all | | | | behind??I'm not sure you can feel like a snappy |
| our other clothes up,like a belt, keeping our clothes | | | | dresser with fish guts,bait and slime all over you but |
| from dropping to our ankles in a useless gathering of | | | | maybe with a diamond encrusted net dangling from |
| cloth. As far as I know there has also never been an | | | | your hip you will feel properly accessorized for an |
| instance of a tie keeping a shirt in tact in high | | | | elegant evening on the river.The fishing world has |
| winds.It's obvious the tie was invented by our female | | | | already come a long way when it comes to |
| counterparts, and is the ultimate payback for all our | | | | fashion--or should I say style.Once upon a time, most |
| manly sins that we commit everyday. I am sure it | | | | fisherman looked more like deck hands, wearing |
| was produced under the guise of "fashion" at some | | | | rubber waders with big oversized boots at the |
| point, with some weak feeble argument that a | | | | bottom. You would slip these over your jeans and big |
| "gentleman" should always don a noose around his | | | | thick wooly socks and if was cold, that red and black |
| neck-lest he become a barbarian!!Other parts of the | | | | checkered jacket would keep you warm.It also would |
| wardrobe I understand.Shoes?I understand shoes. | | | | help to hide the tobacco juice stains that you would |
| They were developed to help protect our feet from | | | | invariably always spit on yourself while fishing. It |
| the hostile environment of thistles, | | | | basically was one size fits all--and you couldn't tell if a |
| weeds,pavement,and hot coffee spills. Shoes make | | | | person was 270 pounds or 140 pounds under the |
| senseSocks?Protection from shoe rub and sneaky | | | | rubber--everyone looked 270 pounds.Today neoprene |
| thistles approaching from ankle height.Pants?Well, | | | | and lightweight high tech shredded milk carton shirts |
| outside of not developing them with an expandable | | | | are being seen more and more, and the fishing vest |
| waistband, pants have proven beneficial in adding | | | | has more cubbies and pockets than a colony of |
| warmth, again providing protection from yet even | | | | Kangaroos.And they look good on the cover of |
| higher thistles and stickers, keeping the suns harmful | | | | magazines to boot!!Speaking of boots.I remember my |
| rays off of pasty white anglo legs, and protecting us | | | | first wading boots were basically the same boots I |
| from hot coffee spills. As an added benefit, they also | | | | wore to muck out manholes when I worked for the |
| protect our eyes from viewing knobby knees and | | | | telephone company. Now, they look more like "Hush |
| senior citizens who might otherwise have been | | | | Puppies" and I'm not so sure I wouldn't be proud to |
| walking around in black socks, Florisheims, and a loin | | | | wear them into the office.I suppose the day is |
| cloth had pants not been invented.Underwear?The | | | | coming when neoprene waders will be made to look |
| jury is still out on this benefit--BUTT-- we will give | | | | like tuxedos or Armani suits--so we can really look |
| underwear the benefit of the doubt.Shirts?Again, sun | | | | like gentlemen out there. That might not actually be a |
| protection, warmth in the winter, and a place to hide | | | | bad idea, I for one could see the benefit in |
| those man breasts and ape like features we men | | | | that--especially if the wedding ceremony runs into the |
| have worked hard to develop. Keeps ketchup and | | | | evening hatch--one could still make it out to the river |
| mustard off our bellys also.Hat?We all know where | | | | and save some valuable time avoiding "change |
| the heat is going to escape. A brilliant invention and | | | | time".All in all, it doesn't really matter to me if some |
| very much like the thermos--it keeps you warm, it | | | | style continues to creep into the fishing world, but if |
| keeps you cool, how does it know???Coats, | | | | they start making the "river tie"--I'm taking up |
| gloves,vests,belts,boots--hell-- even chaps, all seem | | | | Golf!A.J. Klott |
| to have a function behind them.But the tie?Unless it | | | | Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly tack" |
| was developed for men to have a permanently | | | | peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and |
| available napkin, or snot rag---I see no | | | | modern day events that surround the fishing world. |
| purpose.Actually, you could make the argument that | | | | His first book is due out in December of 2005. |
| fishermen are the only men that SHOULD wear ties. | | | | |