Spend enough time on the water and you start recognising the same characters over and over. Here are the angler types you'll meet, with a sprinkle of humour and no real malice — because I've been most of them at one point or another.

The Novice Experimenter

Meet the Novice Experimenter, who tried it "just once" and suddenly found themselves with a new personality. These anglers started with a basic rod and have quickly amassed an impressive collection of flies and gear that lives permanently in the back of the car.

Their journey from casual interest to full obsession is a tale most of us can relate to, because it's how it happened to us. If that's you, start here: my 5 step guide to selecting beginner gear.

The Philosophical Angler

Next up are the Philosophical Anglers — thoughtful souls who spend hours in the water pondering the life cycles of aquatic insects or the ethical considerations of catch and release.

They find deeper meaning in their interactions with nature, and confuse the rest of our simple minds with their deep thoughts and big words. Annoyingly, they're often right. If you want to join them, read Fish Behavior and prepare to be insufferable at the boat ramp.

The Gear-Obsessed Angler

Then there are the Gear-Obsessed, who boast the latest and most sophisticated equipment available. This group loves discussing the merits of various rods and reels, always searching for the thing that will finally improve their catch rate.

They're the backpackers with far too much crap and three Nalgene bottles swinging off the pack. They often look like they're on a runway at the Outdoor Retailer show. They are also, reliably, the slowest in the group and catch the fewest fish.

To be fair to them, gear does matter in one place: your fly line does more for your casting than anything else you can buy. Everything after that is decoration.

The Traditionalist

The Traditionalists are the custodians of fly fishing heritage. They stick to time-tested techniques and hand-tied flies, and they appreciate the history and classic methods, often sharing stories passed down through generations.

This is the old fella with a size 10 dry fly on 3X who somehow whacks fish all day and looks at you like you're a fool with all your gadgets. He is also usually correct. Read Frank Sawyer and you'll understand where he learned it.

The Competitive Angler

Lastly, the Competitive Anglers, who approach every session with a determination to master the sport. They thrive in competition and constantly refine their technique to outperform themselves and everyone else.

They will also quietly out-fish you three to one while being extremely pleasant about it, which is somehow worse. See George Daniel, Lance Egan, and Devin Olsen for the people who turned that into an art form.

The good news

Any one of these characters will happily talk your ear off at the ramp, lend you a fly, and tell you exactly where they got into fish yesterday. That's the actual point of all of it.

And don't get too comfortable in your category — next thing you know, you dry fly purists will be euro nymphing with mop flies.

Here's another article you may enjoy, or try Fly Fishing vs Pro Football.