Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/742011
154 • S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S just enough to make it worthwhile. First, there's the cool, unexpected stuff . . . One guy I know solely through Facebook likes to share pictures of fly- caught smallmouth bass, gorgeous Ozark forests, and the occasional buddhist monk. Another fellow alternates between stories about his motorcycle and his difficult relationship with the local black bears. A third weaves pro-Navy and pro-Marine Corp graphics into a montage of fly-fishing pictures and his love affair with Tenkara rods. It's almost like walking down your favorite stream and seeing little specks of gold flashing amidst all the gravel. Then there are the discussions. They don't happen all the time, of course, but every once in a while somebody will kick off a serious conversation about fishing, or hunting, or books or film or religion or life-in-the-raw, and I'll walk away thankful that I had the chance to hear such a wide variety o f w e l l - c o n s i d e r e d o p i n i o n s a n d thoughtful responses. Finally, there's conservation. My Facebook feed is literally a hotbed of conservation, with some incredibly talented sportsmen writing about the biggest threats to our shared heritage. It's nice to know that so many groups and so many individuals are out there fighting for our waters and landscapes, and for our fishing and hunting. And with the 2016 elections coming up, it's good to learn which politicians care about addressing the threats to sportsmen and protecting our public lands and waters—and which are sharpening their knives and eyeing our backs. Does any of this mean that you should go all-in for social media if you haven't done so already? Nope. Every single time I start to think that Facebook is worth the time and effort, something happens to make me change my mind for a few days. But I do think it's important to acknowledge just how much social media is changing the way we communicate about fly fishing—and to point you toward the Sporting Classics Facebook page, which you can find at www.facebook.com/SportingClassics. n Cohen's incredible "Hallelujah." It's a witch's brew, pure and simple, with the good, the bad, and the wildly indifferent all vying for our attention. It's almost as if Facebook's engineers—the folks who get paid to share as many different social media posts as possible—are doing their absolute best to drive us crazy. You're welcome to disagree, but in my mind the positive aspects of social media tend to shift the overall balance At the same time, though, I run across some pretty cool stuff on social media: gorgeous pictures of remote Alaskan rivers and pristine Minnesota lakes; birthday wishes from old friends I haven't seen in years; links to interesting stories I wouldn't otherwise have found; videos of my nephews skiing down a Sierra mountainside; bits of inspired poetry or gracious wisdom from people I've never sat down with in person; the chance to listen to Neil Young sing "Old Man" or K.D. Lang cover Leonard