August 1, 2000
Dear Realistically Challenged Youth,
You have heard from me before in a letter I
sent, expressing my distaste for your publication. Upon reading
my own letter, I realized a slight tone of negitivity and feel
the need to clarify myself. First of all, this valley HAS gone to
hell in the last 20 years, and each year it accelerates at an
exponential rate. The old time outdoors people, like myself, are
the one's taking it in the shorts here! The outdoors now has a
big price tag hanging on it and people are using it like some
cheap prostitute. What ever happened to people doing and learning
things on their own..... BY EXPERIENCE!! Ohh, I don't know how to
fish, so I'm going to buy me a guide for $300 a day. Of course
they looked up every river update on the internet, and hounded
every fly-shop owner in town to figure out what flies to use.
They then manages to catch a few trout, under the clucking wing
of some guide, and WHAMO their "Flyfisherman"! Once
this is accomplished, its time to buy one of their ridiculous
looking hats. A couple more days like that, and they will be
ready for their personalized, and always clever, flyfishing
license plates. Then it's the out of state guy who wants his elk.
Well..... Lets see here....., I'm out of shape, I can't shoot,
and I don't know the first thing about elk hunting. What will I
do?? I got it!!! I will buy one. And its off to your local
outfitter to haul his fat butt all over hell and back until one
commits suicide. What is wrong with this picture?? It is the
invasion of the all mighty dollar that cheapens the experience.
It fills our mountains, lakes and streams with people who don't
know how to appreciate the experience because they bought their
way past the first few crucial learning steps of the sport. This
is very similar to the person who is born with money, and
consequently never learns the value of the dollar. THIS is the
scorge that is invading this valley!! Do us all a favor people;
if your going to do something, do it yourself. I'm sure that in a
short amount of time you will realize that the mountains are too
steep, the weather too cold, and the trout too smart to waste
your valuable money making time in OUR valley. Save the outdoors
for the people who really want to be there. It is this, combined
with a bad case of irritable bowel syndrome that makes me the
grumpy bastard I am.
Gramps
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