HAS SOCIAL MEDIA KILLED FLY FISHING?

I was in a recent conversation with some old fly fishing friends and guides that I have known for almost 20 years. The topic of pressure was brought up as we were recollecting the "good old days" here on what use to be and what seemed to be our own private tailwater. We recalled how we would often have the place to ourselves and how we would often say "one day this place is going to get discovered". Well year after year this place did not get discovered except by what seemed to be a handful of guys that enjoyed many waters out west but knew how special this place was. Well those days are gone for a good part and our secret place has been discovered. There are still days that you can have a stretch to yourself but they have become few and far between. There are a number of reasons why a river gets discovered. I have been guilty of some of these things in the past. Such as magazine articles, fishing shows, word of mouth, guides and outfitters promoting their business etc.. All of those things listed above have been around for sometime now so why did it take so long for some places to get recognized and flocked to as a destination river? Well I've noticed that several years ago other guides moving into the area as well as more just DIY types roaming around this little town in Wyoming. I started to ask myself why the sudden influx of boats? Well after pondering this question briefly it dawned on me that social media was the culprit. In the day of posting immediately to the world what you had for breakfast, of course you want the world to know what a great angler you are and look at me with this big fish. The problem with this is that people want to know where are you are catching these nice fish and when can i get there? There is the problem. I am part of this problem. As an outfitter, I have posted countless pics of clients smiling with their catches. My purpose is mostly to drum up more business but there is a fine line between marketing and exploiting. Here is the deal. Social media is here to stay so is there a solution? I know that we have a responsibility to our resources and to the generations of anglers to come. We would love to hear any feedback or comments pertaining to this issue. Thanks for reading my ramblings.

Wyoming Adventures