Spit or Swallow?

Yesterday, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed into legislation a bill that is raising grizzly flatwing hackles all over the state, and it seems, even beyond.  Before we explain the bill's content, a little background is in order:  Carp and suckers are notoriously finicky fish.  They will refuse to take a fly that, to the angler, would appear to be flawless in form and presentation.  We all know this.  What we also know is that, until now, these carp et al. were at least required to provide a legitimate explanation for their refusal.  We've all heard the excuses:  "It was too deep."  "It was too shallow."  "It was moving too fast!" "It was moving too slow!"  Roll your eyes if you must, but it was something.

Pence's new legislation throws it all out the window.  Carp are no longer required to provide any justification for refusing a fly, other than "Because I didn't like it."

For carp anglers, this is puzzling but Pence made clear his motivations.  "My base is made up of these bottom-feeders.  Like carp, I myself am a bottom-feeder.  I suck.  For far too long, we bottom-feeders have had to justify our behaviors, and that's just wrong. Whether to spit or to swallow should be our choice and we shouldn't have to explain it."

"Ich bin ein bottom-feeder!"