ORVIS
I like Orvis. Specifically, I like Orvis rods and I like Orvis waders. I’m not a huge fan of the quality of the flies in their shops and I don’t like their boots because they don’t make them in my size. But I like their fly rods, a lot, and I like the company. I like Tom Rosenbauer’s books and his podcast (although, he is terrible and I mean terrible, at interviewing someone. His interview of John Gierach was like awkward silence and strained politeness had a baby and then put that baby in a boarding school for 18 years, didn’t visit him and then had the kid over for Thanksgiving in his senior year where he told them he wasn’t going to college so he could pursue a career as an erotic mime. It was awkward is my point ). I also like that they have a lot of good instructional videos and I like that they offer free classes to get you started. Orvis creates new fly fishers, including me.
I really like their rods and reels. The Clearwater rod and reel is a perfectly good fly rod at a really good price. Add to the fact that they have a 25 year warranty and there really isn’t anything not to like about the Clearwater. Plus if you take their free intro to fly fishing class, Orvis will give you a coupon for some pretty steep discounts on a rod and reel set. Like I said, I like Orvis.
One of the reasons I like them so much is because western fly fishers make a point of not liking Orvis. I think western fly fishers are some of the most pretentious people on earth, from turning their nose up to brookies (like a cutty is any harder to catch) to calling Orvis Whorevis for some stupid reason, to all dressing in the same uniform. Western fly fishers would make a beret wearing freshman philosophy major studying abroad in Paris say “dude, take it down a notch, you’re embarrassing yourself.”
Hipster fly fishers don’t like Orvis for the same reason that hipsters everywhere don’t like something: they’ve been told not to like it by someone they desperately want to be. It’s the Single White Female method of getting a personality: here’s your beard, here’s your tattoo that you totally got from this old black guy in the city and not at the mall, here’s your PBR and here’s your Sage.
I was talking to a guide from Montana about fly rods and he told me that he doesn’t really care about rods. In his opinion, they’re all about the same and he could catch fish on “tippet nailed to a broomstick.” I bet a lot of guides feel that way when no one is looking. Find a rod you like, fish with it and get on with your life.
I’m not sure what it is about fly fishing and fly fishers that make us make such a big goddamned deal out of everything. It seems like it’s a phase you have to work your way through. I like Orvis because there’s a shop near my house and the fly fishing manager there is a good guy, plus they make a quality product and back it up with an outstanding warranty. You like Scott because of the quality and ascetics of their rods, good for you. But this whole idea that it’s not enough that you like brand X, but you have to hate brand Y? It’s weird.
Anyway, I like Orvis.
First Fish 