The pecking order

[briansnat]

In the 40 some years I've been fishing I've noticed a pecking order of sorts among anglers and it's even more noticeable since I've been lurking and participating in Internet fishing forums.

It seems that the flyfishermen look down on everyone else. Among flyfishermen, they look down on the nymphers. Together, they look at anglers using spinning equipment with a sense of disdain.

Those who use spinning or bait casters dismiss those who use live bait and baitcasters seem to have a prejudice against those who use spinning equipment (I was once told that I wasn't a "real bass fisherman" because I didn't use a baitcasting outfit}.

The live bait users seem to be on the bottom of the order, with the exception of those who have the gall the keep the fish they catch. If you don't practice catch and release, and especially if you use live bait you are the lowest of the low, the "bucket brigade".

So is there a fishing pecking order and if so where are you on it?