OK, before the elitist, Orvis-bedecked types get their feathers ruffled (or hackles up, to milk the pun), know this: I love fly fishing. I love the whistle of the line through the guides, the graceful loops, and the sight of a well-constructed streamer flicking under the surface with a more realistic action than any conventional lure can muster. Fly fishing is artful, old school, and, at times, unbridled fun. But it’s still a raging pain in the keester. If you haven’t fished in a while, your line comes off the reel like a Slinky. Backcasts collapse like a government-run program, and leaders mysteriously tie wind knots that would make a seamstress gasp. (more…)