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A Sportsman and His Money

Proverbs 21:20 (KJV) says that "a fool and his money are soon parted." I suppose the same can be said about sportsmen. Sportsmen seem to need the latest gadgets and gear that are developed for our favorite pastimes. Deer hunters stock up on the latest scents and odor-free clothing that might help them put tags on whitetails. Turkey hunters collect all sorts of turkey calls to trick even the most reticent of gobblers. Fly-fishermen need the best feathers to construct their flies and the most technologically advanced equipment in their quests to attract and land wily trout. All of this involves money.

I like to believe that I'm thrifty. I drive an 11-year-old Ford Ranger. I haven't bought a new fly rod in years. I've worn the same hunting clothing for a long time. Despite this, Donna tells me that I waste my money.

Recently I discovered a new website that deals in classic fly-fishing gear. It advertises classic bamboo fly rods and fishing reels. I easily resisted forking out any money for these. There's a "however" here, of course: The site also lists vintage fly-fishing books. Donna tells me that my couple hundred fly-fishing books are enough for any fly-fisherman, but I have found that to be untrue. I discovered two books on the site that I just had to have: Pennsylvanian Charles Wetzel's 1945 tome "The Practical Fly-Fisherman" and poetic fly-fishing writer Dana Lamb's "The Fishing's Only Part of It." You'd think that old books would be less expensive than new ones, but that's not the case. I paid more than triple the price of new fishing books to become the owner of these two classics. I have already read each book once.

This reminds me of the popularity of wildlife art prints during the 1980s and '90s. Fine art prints from artists such as Robert Clement Kray and Pennsylvanian Ned Smith became available. At first I couldn't justify spending any of my moldy money on these; but when we became a two-income family again, I came up with several nice prints. I missed out on what is my favorite portrayal of wild turkeys, though. Smith's "Autumn Descent" appeared just before we had a little extra money. It depicted four gobblers flying off a mountainside, just as I have seen real turkeys do quite a few times. In recent years, I have looked for this print on the Internet. Its $120.00 original price has escalated by 20 times. I don't think I'll be hanging "Autumn Descent" above my fireplace anytime soon.

 

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