Old Timer
This is the fisherman that has fished all the rivers and lakes,
knows the tricks of the trade, and is a professional fly fisherman.
The Old Timers have gone through all the phases, and can simply
fish wherever they please. It is a rare occurrence to see an Old
Timer hit the water and not catch at least one fish. More often
than not, Old Timers will be naturally attracted to more technical
types of fishing. Slow moving spring creeks or crystal clear
lakes are Old Timer's favorite places to fish. These fisherman will
normally have the best equipment. They have bought the entry
level gear, and know that they simply do not hold up over time.
Old Timers are easy to spot because they will have their Simms
G3 Waders, Winston/Sage fly rod, Costa Sunglasses on their hat,
and rock a pale white outline of their sunglasses around the eyes.
Although always looking to learn, there isn't much you can tell an
Old Timer that he or she doesn't already know.
Pack Rat
This fisherman is normally very experienced, but will bring all
of his equipment with him where ever he goes. Pack Rats will
have vests that weigh 50 lbs., zippers busting from over-stuffing,
carry at least five fly boxes, and will try and be ready for the
unpredictable. Pack Rats are experienced enough to fish most
waters successfully, but will occasionally run into walls when it
comes to fishing new water. Pack Rats usually fish with above
average equipment, but are always looking to upgrade gear in
order fit in all those fly boxes. This is where I would recommend
looking into a Wildhorse Tech Pack or a Wasatch Tech Pack
made by Fishpond. These vests have built in backpacks and
enough room in the pockets to fit those jam packed fly boxes.
Day Tripper
The Day Tripper usually starts out as a Young Gun, but then has
a couple of kids and can only sneak out for an hour or two. The
Day Tripper is a very important role in the fly fishing ecosystem.
A Day Tripper usually fishes a hole for a couple minutes, maybe
catches a fish, and then moves along. I say this is an important
role because right after he leaves, the Pack Rat swoops in
attempting to catch those trout that are thinking the coast is
clear. The Day Trippers are the fisherman that come into a fly
shop and say "where can I fish within a 20 minute drive, and
catch fish. Size doesn't matter." Normally, Day Trippers will have a
small Simms Waypoints Pack, or a simple Redington mesh vest
that carries minimal equipment.