What's The Fascination With Fly Fishing?

[vanven]

I will bite; not because I feel the need to defend fly fishing, but because I appreciate a lot of the information and stories already shared.

That’s part of my love of fly-fishing. It’s like zen. It’s about nothing and everything at the same time. Often, no words are spoken, no thoughts are thought. It’s just you and the water and the rhythm of the casts in which you try and find that groove that is your own and no one else’s. You get lost in the quiet. There are rarely motors, rarely distractions. The beer is for the parking lot. But it’s an opportunity to reconnect with some type of internal, natural rhythm. When I fly-fish, it’s not as much about the catching as it is the fishing. Don’t get me wrong, catching is important, but not always the primary purpose. I don’t think you get that with other kinds of fishing.

I am 35 and only took up fly fishing a few years ago when a friend talked me into a guys fishing trip weekend. Despite fishing my entire life and not feeling comfortable with the fly rod I struggled through the trip and decided to invest a little more time in a second guys trip. At the last minute my friends bailed on me and I snapped up my wife and decided to head to Taneycomo for the weekend.

The second afternoon of the trip it was getting late and the fall sun was getting low. My wife had headed off to the strip malls and the temperature had dropped. I was the only person fishing within eyesight. I heard a wooshing sound above me and saw a bald eagle land accross the river in a dieing tree. He sat there and watched me fish for what seemed like forever, yet was probably no more than 10 minutes. The flyrod felt more like an instrument in my hands instead of the clumbsy flailing stick it had been all day. The cold chill in the air went away. I could hear the water flowing past me and could feel the force of the cold current against me. There was a rythm and purpose to the rod in my hands. That is when I realized that fly fishing was something I would be doing for a long time.

I went home and piled all of my spin rods in the corner of the basement. I went to the fly shop and spent $3,000 on equipment and knew that I was hooked. I can only describe that afternoon as zen. I had a moment in the middle of that river that afternoon that I will likely never have again.

-Jerod

[Gavin]

I'm 40 and I've been fly fishing for 28 years. Used to be a fly fish only type, but I grew out of it. I love to fly fish, but I use other methods when the situation calls for it. Its all about having fun and spending some time in the outdoors with friends. If you catch a fish or two its a bonus. Cheers.

[Terry Beeson]

1. I do not understand the facination with sitting in front of a TV or at an event and watching guys drive cars around a track for 3-4 hours... Stomp the gas - turn left - stomp the gas - turn left...

2. I often wonder why a person will devote so much of his time and attention (not to mention money) to a game with the only purpose being that of knocking down as many guys on the other team as possible and trying to get a "pumpkin" to one end of a big pasture... (Shades of Andy Griffith...)

3. And who in his right mind would consider jumping out of a perfectly good airplane fun?

But then again...

1. Who wouldn't enjoy getting up at 4 am, driving to a ramp, taking a 2 mile boat ride in 20 degree weather, stand waist deep in flooded timber, and wait for a flock of green heads and suzys to cup their wings 40-50 feet overhead?

2. How can someone NOT want to climb 15-20 feet up a ladder and sit for hours covered in camo in anticipation of a trophy buck passing within range of his bow or rifle?

3. What type of person finds no facination with tying feather and fur to a hook and creating beautiful loops of fly line while standing in the middle of a stream hoping that a fish will sip that fly and give them the thrill of a bent rod and screaming reel?

That boils down to differences in personalities... and it makes the world go 'round...

But... My facination with fly fishing? I have fished since I was old enough to hold a rod in my hands. I have gone from cane pole, worms, and bobbers, to Eagle Claw rods with Zebco 33 reels, to Lucky 13s, Rebel minnows, spin tackle, bait casting tackle, $30,000 bass rigs, Carolina rigs, tournaments, etc. etc....

After several years, I found the lure of roaring around a lake in a bass boat and the competative nature of that type of fishing to be very unrewarding.

Then I was introduced to fly fishing.... and it has become my therapy. Sitting in front of a vise trying to make my flies look like Davy Wotton's or John Berry's is a challenge. Mine may not come out that good, but they will catch fish. And the time I spent tying them was not spent worrying about bills, employment, a 12 year old diabetic, or countless other problems that keep me up at night.

Standing knee deep in the middle of Taneycomo hoping what those that have given me casting pointers and lessons will manifest itself in a decent cast, then waiting in anticipation of a trout sipping the soft hackle I tied last night into his mouth has a calming effect that fights off depression, anxiety, stress, and countless other things that may reduce my mental health.

Then there are the people I have met in the fly fishing world. The diversity of personalities, not to mention the diversity of how they express their affection for the sport of fly fishing. Fly tying, casting, rod building, bamboo rod building, drawing, painting, photography, teaching, sharing, joking, laughing, story-telling, cooking, eating, drinking...

- Casting lessons into the wee hours of the morning behind the Ramada Inn in Mountain Home, AR...

- Meeting guys from OAF on New Year's Day and sharing seahorses, chicken, and other great food along with good conversation in freezing, windy weather...

- Having Dave Whitlock give me a personal lesson on what is wrong with my casting stroke...

- Burning a stogie with Davy Wotton and discussing what flies I should be tying to fish the Bull Shoals tailwaters in a couple of weeks...

- Watching John Berry tie a Green Butt for me and meeting the real "Mr. Berry" (John's dad) and having a good laugh about that one...

- Hanging out at Backcountry Outfitters just to give Michael a hard time about trying out items their then going somewhere else to buy... (even though I wind up buying from BCO...)

- Having Harry Boyd encourage me to try out one of his bamboo rods in the parking lot knowing there was no way I could afford it...and THEN pricing it... and finding out just how much money I had in my hands waving it in the parking lot.

- Feeling the tug of a huge Brown sipping that streamer I tied the weekend before and then watching him make one big jump in the moonlight of a Missouri sky at midnight. Then letting out a half groan, half laugh when the 28 incher spits that fly back at me...

- Listening to Stubby Kyle tell stories in the parking lot for two hours until 3 am after a night of fishing...

- Watching Al Crise give three kids he just introduced to fly casting each a totem blessed by his wife and explaining where the totems (river rocks) came from, what the blessing meant, and that he wished them luck in their fly fishing future...

- Helping a 12 year old girl who had never fly fished before catch 16-19 inch trout... Then helping her sister land a 26 inch rainbow "hawg"... Then getting to watch both of them with mud on their jeans and fish slime on their shirts and great big smiles on their faces while having their pictures taken with their catches...

- Talking to John Wilson and Joe Humphreys in the parking lot about Joe's quest for the elusive 20 lb. Brown trout.

And the list goes on and on...

And you ask what is the big attraction?

[Chief Grey Bear]

I have read all replies here over the last few days with great interest. The question was simple. The responses were not.

Though they most all began and ended at the same point, many different angles were cast upon in between those two points. It was all that in between, I guess that fascinated me.

[timsfly]

I enjoy fly fishing because it is fun

I can't get enough of it, don't know why.

Just the way the good lord made me !!!!!

[Phil Lilley]

and meeting the real "Mr. Berry" (John's dad) and having a good laugh about that one...

I'm jealous!

- Listening to Stubby Kyle tell stories in the parking lot for two hours until 3 am after a night of fishing...

I'm NOT!!

[Tightline]

I never thought I would ever try fly fishing,but I did,and now I am hooked.The fasination,well its kinda like using a long bow instead of a compound,or the compound bow instead of a gun.To me it is more complex,more challenging.

I have yet to match my spin fishing total for Trout on Taney,but I am gaining on it.What is fasinating to me about fishing with flys is that you might tear them up with Wooley Buggers one weekend and go back the next weekend and not get a bite on them.You have to be ready and willing to change until you find out what they want,and how they want it.

Another thing I find amazing is the different levels of sportsmanship.Some will only fish outlets,some will not go near an outlet,some only fish fast water,some only dead water,some never cast their rods,some,all they do is cast and unfortunatly some only fish at their feet.

What ever floats your boat, I guess.

TL

[rrhyne56]

I love this thread! What more can be said? But I still feel compelled to add my two cents.

Life is a game. A game consists of freedoms, barriers and purposes. Hence angling, as a (vital and integral) part of life is a game.

Everyone has their game that pleases them to play, there are other games we are forced to play (paying the mortgage etc.)

I hate the pay the mortgage game but play it I must. Fly fishing is the kind of game I choose simply because it entrances and compels me.

Why do some hunt with a bow? Obviously a modern gun is superior in every way - except one - the pleasure of the game for those who choose it.

My hope is that others with more clarity than I will add their thoughts herein.

[Terry Beeson]

QUOTE

and meeting the real "Mr. Berry" (John's dad) and having a good laugh about that one...

I'm jealous!

QUOTE

- Listening to Stubby Kyle tell stories in the parking lot for two hours until 3 am after a night of fishing...

I'm NOT!!

[Bill Anderson]

Bill I think you contridicted yourself on the statement "there is no prize money or trophy at the end of the day", because what you describe in your next line is the prize and trophy we enjoy after a day of flyfishing whether it be wading or floating.

..........I guess you're right about the "prize". Fly fishing fulfills the longing I have always had deep in my soul for wild places and wild creatures. The farther I can get from people and civilization when I fish, the better I like it. I don't mind walking the extra 30 minutes or hour to push beyond the areas that most impatient people seem to go to.