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flyfishing and golf

1K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  Greg Moore 
#1 ·
I have noticed that an extraordinary amount of flyfishers also play golf, or vice versa. Has anyone else noticed this? The topic was spurred by one of my best rounds at the local course(46-37=83, maybe it was lower my handicap a bit) :LOVEIT

~Ryan
 
#5 ·
Hey Mike,

Is that really for real? My brother in law who is not a fisherman said something similar to me and I just blew it off. Thought he was trying to get me going because he knows I like to flyfish and he is just a golfer.

Have you actually seen someone let a group go through as they paused to cast to a fish?

Mark
 
#7 ·
Not only do golf and fly fishing have a lot in common but you can also add snow skiing to the mix. You're outside (fresh air, clean water, beautiful scenery), it's just you against the elements/nature & you can do them by yourself (no team mates needed), no two rivers/golf courses/ ski slopes are the same (other sports have defines boundaries for the size of their fields), there's no time limits (9 innings, 4 quarters, 3 sets, etc.) and the one thing they have in most incommon is the high cost of the equipment. But I still love them all.

I've worked in the golf profession for over 30 years and the only other profession I'd even consider would be guiding fly fishermen looking for trout on a great western stream.

Greg

"In our family, there is no clear
line between religion and fly
fishing" Norman Maclean
 
#8 ·
Well said gdm43, well said. I couldn't agree more. Trophy Lake does have three ponds with big fish in them. Two are off the course and One is on the 18th pole. I believe it's a pay for play, in addition to any greens fees. I think a lot of courses have a pond or two on their course with trout in them. A few private clubs that I know for sure do. One is Glendale. they have a pond with huge trout in it. (20-30") :EEK YT
 
#9 ·
Some of the golf courses also have ponds with hugh bass in them. The only problem most golf courses have with fishermen out there while golfers are playing is the risk factor (insurance is very high) of a fishermen getting hit by an errant shot. I've been able to float tube on the ponds at golf courses that I've worked at and a nice size 12" bass on a 2 weight is a blast.

Greg

"In our family, there is no clear
line between religion and fly
fishing" Norman Maclean
 
#10 ·
I'm not a golfer, but there are at least two state parks I'm aware of that give opportunities to the golfer/fly fisherman. The first of course is Dry Falls State Park. The other, perhaps not as well known to the fly fisherman, is Bridgeport State Park on Rufus Woods Lake above Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River. Rufus Woods is a huge lake, but remember the state record rainbow came from there. Dragging big wooly buggers deep on a Type VI sinking line can get real interesting.

WF
 
#11 ·
I agree with gdm43. I golf, flyfish and snowboard and they are all high cost activities and each has something very unique to offer. However, they are all sports in which you basically are free. Whether I am on the course, on the slopes or on the river, I have nothing on my mind except the next shot, the next run or the next fish. Everything else seems to fade away for that time that I am doing any of these. Being, from Hawaii, fishing and golfing to me go naturally together. Since I don't want to surf in freezing water :EEK, I chose snowboarding. And when you get tired of golfing in the rain and cold, it's time to go snowboarding. There have been many times this summer where I fished on Friday night, golfed on Saturday and fished again on Sunday.

I also agree with Ryan, a few of my fishing buddies golf and a few of my golfing buddies either fly fish or are very interested into getting into fly fishing. In fact, many of those guys also snowboard! I just think it's a great combination to enjoy the many things WA has to offer! :THUMBSUP
 
#12 ·
Not saying this to brag but I've played golf and fished on the same day. Another time, I've skiied and played golf on the same day and I've also fished and skiied on the same day. It's a little easier here in the Tri-Cities to hit White Pass, ski til 1:00 p.m. and then hit the Yakima on the way home. And the winters are mild enough to be able to play golf in the winter if there's no snow. The best of all world's!!


Greg

"In our family, there is no clear
line between religion and fly
fishing" Norman Maclean
 
#13 ·
I have to agree there may be some correlation between golfers & fly-fisherman. Since I have recently taken up fly-fishing, I've noticed that fly-fishing has given me a similar feeling of obsessiveness. Other common attibutes: Ethical practices, precise form (the cast and the swing), challenges presented by varying weather conditions, and camaraderie of fellow golfing or fishing companions. :THUMBSUP
 
#14 ·
I also golf and flyfish to, but I play golf with a disk rather then a club and ball. The disk cost only $8-9 dollars each and most of the courses are free. They also do not need large amounts of water to keep them green. Often that water is taken from the rivers. The courses only need to have the bushes and weeds cut back once in a while and the trees are all left in place. As for skiing I gave that up a couple years ago due to being tired of waiting in lines more then going down hill. I now take a snowmobile out during the winter for fun instead. The freedom on the sled is to me like the freedom of a motorcycle and I can go anywhere there is snow and the law allows. Of course I seem to play disk golf less and less because flyfishing takes up more and more of my free time and I can do it without finding a friend or two to drag along. I do golf once in a while with a ball and clubs but the greens fees and getting a tee time does not allow the freedom I like, so most of the time I leave the courses for others. When people are golfing its less that might be on the lakes and rivers. Now if golfing was still played in old fields like it was when it was first invented I would find more time for. But the greens remind me to much of yards and so reminds me that my yardwork needs to be done. This makes it not so relaxing for me.

Flyfishing is not a sport its an addiction. :LOVEIT
 
#17 ·
I actually play more golf than fish but I enjoy fishing more than golf when the action is good. I have been playing golf for 28 years and because I have fairly low handicap I only enjoy golf when I have my "A" game. If I get lazy and don't practice and don't work on my short game, my score suffers. So for me, fishing is more relaxing and golf is more work. Lately, I have been so busy at work, I have not been able to fish or play golf that much and that really stinks. When I finally got to play the other day (Washington National, and it was free!) I realized that I should just go play and not worry about how I score. Just like going fishing and not worrying about catching anything. Now that I am 45 years old, it's time to just enjoy time outdoors and say "it wonderful to be here". 3 putt....who cares, no fish biting...who cares! Darn Salmon with lock jaw.... now I starting to get mad!
 
#18 ·
What a great topic...

Gloat alert, Gloat Alert ...3, 2, 1 - We have lift off! :HAPPY

I did the Trophy Lake thing last year. Shot a 78 from the championship tees in the morning, three 18"-20" trout that evening. A wonderful day.

On my home course we have lots of man-made ponds. The course is only 5 years old but already the ponds hold some monster trout. Believe me when I say that putting a 3 footer to save par is made all the more difficult when, 20' away, these monster rainbows are givin' you the one-finger salute.

End of gloat alert. We have touchdown!

Last fall I had the opportunity to hear Dec Hogan give one of his talks. Turns out that Tiger Woods and Mark O'Mera are fly-fishing buffs extra-ordinaire, according to Dec. Dec, it seems, guided the the two golfers on the Deschutes. Both picked up steelhead. Both became avid spey casters.

Fishing (of all kinds) is thought to be the most popular non-golf sport in which the PGA Touring Professionals engage.

Cheers,

Michael
 
#19 ·
A lot of the Tour guys live in Florida and fishing is the top hobby. Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus, as well as David Duval all fly fish. Nicklaus was on an episode of the "New" American Sportsmen fly fishing for tarpon. David Duval spends a lot of time in Idaho for fly fishing in the summer and snow boarding in the winter. Tiger, David, Mark and a few other tour pros go to Ireland a week before the British Open for some fishing and golf.


Greg

"In our family, there is no clear
line between religion and fly
fishing" Norman Maclean
 
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