I was recently bored out of my mind and found my way to a blog I didn’t know previously existed. There are so many blogs, and so little time. And admittedly my internet connection is spotty at best. In all actuality I’m lucky if I can get my laptop to work at all without shorting out. I should really look into a waterproof housing for it, but then again electro-shocking the water on occasion does produce some easy meals.
But back to the blog in question, which is titled simply, alexkain. First off, I find it a bit pompous for a blogger to name their blog after themselves. I suppose if you’ve a high enough opinion of yourself or you’re famous, it’s not such an unreasonable thing to do. But Alex Kain? Never heard of him. At least not previously.
A particular entry took a jab at the myriad fly fishing blogs polluting the internet. This Kain fellow starts off gently by stating:
I have to be honest, I haven’t been reading your blog.
I haven’t been reading yours either, Alex Kain.
He goes on to complain that 99% of the fly fishing blogs are boring and lacking an edge. He accuses people of essentially tiptoeing the path most traveled rather than taking a risk. He doesn’t use these exact terms, but he’s calling for you fly fishing bloggers to run with scissors. Pointed inward, perhaps.
But I must say, as much as I don’t agree with anything fly fishingmen say, this Alex Kain character may almost be a man I might respect, if not for the fact that I’m incapable of respecting any man. He appears to be a speaker of the truth and has undoubtedly rubbed a few fly fishing bloggermen the wrong way. Without knowing this Alex Kain fly fishing bloggerman, my first perception is that he’s abrasive and outspoken: two things that probably make him a man of few friends. Likely he fishes alone, or perhaps with weak-minded “yes-men” who carry his net for him. Abrasive and outspoken—I see nothing wrong with that, having been referred to similarly.
After reading his entry I left my comment:
Then someone named Alex (assuming it was Alex Kain) replied:
At this point I horked up a chunk of nutria and took my leave. I was not looking for anyone to agree with me. I certainly don’t want meaningless praise from any man. In his reply he should have taken a shot at me. He should have defended his territory by declaring me a braggart and calling me out for a duel in mid-riffle. I would have returned an insult and accepted the challenge. Instead I was left feeling rather empty. I’ve been referred to as a “fat, finned bastard” on my own blog—surely I should have been offered something similar in this instance where I was just a visitor. I was disappointed in his lack of gumption. Disappointed, but not surprised. After all that it turns out he may just be just one of those boring, overcooked, gritless fly fishing bloggermans. Sort of like hatchery fish.
I am Roderick Hawg-Brown, and I speak the truth.
Dear Roderick Hawg-Brown,
Its weird, even though you’re German, I can’t help but read your writing with an English accent.
For what its worth, my real name isn’t alex kain. I used to call my blog, 40 Rivers to Freedom, and before that, The Day Tripper. But after writing a blog for Hatches Magazine for a while, and then writing/editing for MidCurrent for a while, I really didn’t feel the need to create a whole new brand, and to be honest, just wanted a place where I could write for me, thus the name change. It’s entirely possible I could change the name again someday. You lose readership and seo mojo each time, but I could give a shit less, I’m not writing for either.
In regards to complimenting your comment, I couldn’t help but agree with you. Everyone wants to be just like moldy chum, or the trout underground, or buster, or TFM. So they all try, and since they’re not any of the aforementioned, they fail. There are some really good blogs out there though, Erin Block’s Mysteries Internal, Fish Beer, and Fishing Poet immediately come to mind.
I guess I could have showed more gumption, but to be honest, I figured you were just like all the other pea-brained brown trout. I’ve caught your non-native, invasive kin all over the country and much prefer american trout such as the cutthroat and rainbow. Hell, I get more out of brookies- a freaking char- than your species.
Sure, your ancestors were exposed to real fishing pressure for thousands of years before our American trout. But as the more aggressive, members of your species were weeded out for the frying pan, you little fellas became what most fly anglers call, “selective.” I call you pussies.
Dear Mr. Not Alex Kain,
So you hide behind a pen name? That’s courageous of you. You and I could trade barbs all day long, with me insulting you for any number of things while you denounce my German heritage, etc. But after you mentioned brook trout, I lost interest. Speaking of pussies, it’s time for a snack. I’m going to go eat a cat.
RH-B….
If you want to use your laptop more effectively, I suggest you find an actual lap, a useful thing humans have that you lack….
Laps are overrated and only lead to moral erosion. I seem to being doing fine without one, thank you.
Perhaps he mistook you for a Bull Trout…? They fight like a slug too-
At least you try to sound like a tough guy, unlike most of the other spineless fly anglingmen out there.