These are hemostats, but each one is a hemostat.
Photo via Wikipedia
Okay, let’s start right out by acknowledging the obvious: a pet peeve is, by definition, something inconsequential. It’s nothing more than a nit that you can’t help from picking. And it’s been my experience that fly fishers, like any group of “true believers,” are especially prone to these minor annoyances.
To give you a sense of what I’m talking about, here’s mine: I wince (inside) when people say “hemostats” when referring the medical device used to remove a hook from a fish’s mouth. You see, the correct name is hemostat, with no “s” at the end. It’s short for “hemostatic clamp.” I understand why people add the “s”—since we say scissors and pliers—but it still grates on me. I fully realize that this makes me seem snooty and small-minded, but that’s the thing about pet peeves: you don’t get to choose them. They choose you.
I am sure that I do and/or say things that are pet peeves for others, so now it’s your turn. What silly, small, inconsequential thing drives you nuts about other fly fishers? Be honest now.
