I was about 10-12 years old. I went to Carondelet Park ( a city park with 2 ponds about 4 feet deep in the deepest part). The pond we wanted to fish has a dock, and it was the "cool" spot to fish from. We may or may not have learned how to use an "open face" reel. Anyhow, we went to our park and went to our spot only to find that the dock had a caution tape blocking us from entering it. There was a guy who was older than my buddy and I, but not what we would consider old, who was on the dock. We figured if he could be on the dock, so could we, after all it was OUR spot. We went around the tape, and started on to the end where we fished at, and the guy told us to get off. We asked why he could be on the dock, but we could not. He explained that he was organizing a tournament for flyfishing. There were some kind of rings that kind of looked like hoola hoops floating on the water. We asked what the rings were for, apparently they were used for scoring.
We went to fish at a different part of the pond, and watched these people who we have NEVER seen in OUR park, use these funny looking fishing rods, and try to land there casts in these targets. I thought it was a neat thing, and it grew in my mind for years. I talked to many people about the idea and it just costed so much to start, I bought my first flyrod about 3 years ago, about 20 years later, maybe more. I am proud to say that I have caught 1 fish on it. I don't get much time to myself to practice, so when I get to go fishing, it is with my spinning gear with the kids. I do plan each year to use it more though. Sorry kind of a long story, but you asked.
DC