Because Our Words Matter – Sexual Violence and the Fly Fishing Industry

I’m sitting here at my keyboard, disabled. My hands shivering. Heart pounding. Squinting at the display through tears. I have actually composed numerous posts for the Oregon Fly Fishing Blog Site, however this is the greatest stakes post I have actually ever had the guts to compose. Which’s odd, since it should not need guts to compose this, however in some way I understand that discussing this subject includes breaking a taboo. The taboo of calling out my fellow anglers and our market for untenable habits.

Here goes.

Sex Dungeon.

Check out the words aloud, please. Now inform me what the words indicate.

I understand it is a fly name. Anybody who fishes for trout with banners understands what it is, however I desire you to pick up a minute, believe, and inform me what the words indicate. Do you believe the words are amusing?

What do you believe goes on in dungeons?

I ‘d want to wager that the majority of people understand that bad things occur in dungeons, and … sex dungeons?

Let’s action back for a minute and attempt a video game of envision if …

Envision you are a grandfather, sitting at your fly bench, with your seven-year-old granddaughter standing next to you, enjoying how you mix products and craft your work of art banner fly.

” What’s that fly called, Grandfather?” She asks.

” This is a Sex Dungeon,” you respond to.

” What’s a Sex Dungeon?” She asks.

How will you address her? Will you lie? Will you alter the topic. Will you laugh it off?

Are you still with me here? Are you still checking out? Have you dismissed me and this article as over-reaction to safe locker-room small talk?

If so, you become part of the issue, and you require to alter your habits since the words aren’t safe. This sort of talk stabilizes sexual violence. Severe words? Yes. Real? Yes.

The group truths of fly fishing state that if you read this blog site, you most likely determine as male. Could gender affect an individual’s understandings? What if you were a grandmother rather of a grandfather?

” Granny, take a look at this beautiful fly that Grandfather connected for me!”

” Why, that is a stunning fly,” you respond to. “What is it called?”

” It’s a Pole Dancer, Granny. What’s a Pole Dancer?” Your granddaughter asks. “Grandfather simply chuckled and stated I ought to go ask you.”

How do you feel, Granny? Is this safe?

Let’s play Envision if once again.

Envision that you are a mid-twenties male, out in the drift boat with 2 male good friends, drifting down the river one fine fall afternoon. The trout are biting and you’re having a good time with your friends, when somebody states, “I believe I’ll attempt a Pearl Pendant“

Do you believe anybody will laugh? Do you envision any among you will state anything about the significance of the expression? Possibly you believe it is OKAY to utilize a few of these names since they are double entendres and the genuine significances can be disputed?

dou · ble en · 10 · dre
noun(* )A word or expression available to 2 analyses, among which is generally provocative or indecent.
Even If it is a double entendre does not make it OK. The language serves to back and coddle and perpetuate a culture of male sexual supremacy.

Excuse me. I’m under the impression that the fly fishing market is making an identified effort to hire ladies and kids as fly fishers. Is this how we intend on making them feel welcome?

I’m not a specialist. I’m not even a terrific author, and I have no qualifications to have actually looked into these problems. However I understand how I feel when I see these fly names. I understand the significance behind the names. They are planned to capture the customer’s attention. They are implied to offer an item to a customer that is generally a white male.

However the words harmed everybody, no matter gender. The words communicate the approval of sexual supremacy and violence in our society.

Let’s play

Envision if once again. Pretend for a minute that you’re a woman who is an expert fishing guide with 2 male customers. You are evacuating after a riverside lunch, preparing yourself to resume the afternoon’s fishing. Among your customers passes you their fly box and starts informing you about the contents. “That leading row is filled with Stacked Blondes Next row down is filled with my Hardly Legals And the last 3 rows hold my
Lap Dancers, T & & A Bunkers, and Bottoms Up“ In case you didn’t understand, the English language dictionary states this.

T&A

in American English
noun
Casual
Home Entertainment, as TELEVISION programs or films, identified by the intentionally titillating display screen of the female kind.
Keep In Mind, you are the female guide, worked with by 2 male customers. How do you feel about these fly names? How do you feel about your customers?

Or more to the point, how do you feel about your fly fishing market that permits this to go on? These fly names are not brand-new. The reality that the market hasn’t had the guts or the guts or the smarts to stop this bullshit states something.

Some individuals will declare it states that the market is OKAY with this. Others will declare that this is just a small little naughtiness. And definitely some individuals will state that I’m complaining where none is required.

Well, it isn’t a little disobedience, and it isn’t simply naughty. These names and associated visual images do not belong in a box of fishing flies. These fly names show a culture of male supremacy that anticipates supremacy in all things, sex consisted of.

And if this is an issue, then who is to blame?

Here’s the important things about these little flies, all of them sitting so innocently in their fly bins in stores and in individuals’s fly boxes and fly fishing vests and boat bags and strung on their fishing pole: Nobody and everybody is accountable. It is you and it is me and it is each of our fly fishing friends; it is all anglers of all genders. Each people who has actually heard or seen these fly names and not spoken out is to blame.

I’m pissed at each of my good friends who has never ever stood to this concern.

I’m pissed at myself, and I’m ashamed that I have actually been too careful to decide on this concern prior to now.

I’m pissed at every expert fly fishing guide, no matter gender, for not deciding on this.

I discover it tough to comprehend the silence in the fly fishing market on matters like this. I have actually been browsing the Web for a week, searching for anybody who has actually called attention to the connection in between the language we utilize and implied approval of sexual violence.

Rather, I discovered articulate discoveries by female fishing guides who are continuously on their guard to prevent scenarios where they may be susceptible to male supremacy (spoken and physical).

It makes good sense. It makes ideal sense.

When female fly fishing guides work for male customers who reside in a world occupied by Stacked Blonde Pole Dancers who would like to get a Pearl Pendant in their Sex Dungeon, well, what else would you anticipate?

I’m done. No apologies.

Jay Nicholas, February 22, 2021.

P. S. When I completed composing this blog site, I might not discover a classification that appeared to fit the material. So I noted it under Fly Fishing Books, Fly Fishing Glossary, Fly Fishing Travel, and Fly Tying. I chose not to utilize the classification Fly Fishing Pornography; that classification has actually constantly troubled me.

P. P. S. Oh heck, perhaps we males ought to all head out and get ’em by the pussy. A pussy is simply a little feline, you understand.