R
"but to the purest" - Barry, that's actually "purist". Owner makes a hook with a little "corkscrew" attached to the hookeye that let's you thread the worm or other soft plastic onto it, then you run the hook point through the body like you do on a Texas rig - you won't throw the soft plastic off the hook using that, no matter how bad your casting is. You'd have no problem throwing it with a 7-9-wt rod. I've caught literally hundreds of bass that way. Just be sure to stripset when you have a bite. As Rex said, it's a slow way of fishing, but effective.
I really enjoy reeling in fish on a fly rod and I have thrown a plastic worm and even a crankbait on a fly rod to catch bass. I have caught redfish by throwing a 1 oz jig on a fly rod. My point was that in Texas, techniques like throwing worms or heavy lures are not considered fly fishing, by definition. Here is how Texas Parks and Wildlife defines fly fishing:
The lure must be a recognized type of artificial fly.
A fly may be dressed on a single or double hook or two single hooks in tandem. Treble hooks are prohibited. The use of any other type of lure or natural or preserved bait, either singularly or attached to the fly, is prohibited.
No scent, either natural or artificial, is allowed on flies. The use of scented material in a fly is prohibited.
The rod, reel, line, and leader equipment used must be designed for fly fishing.
Casting and retrieving must be carried out in accordance with normal customs and generally accepted practices. The major criterion in casting is that the weight of the line must carry the lure rather than the weight of the lure carrying the line.