Back on the water after 5 months.....

....abcense and I did not enjoy it at all. Seems I have lost my love, enthusiasm and desire for fly fishing. I did enjoy the brilliant fall colors we have this year but that is something I enjoy better with the camera in my hands.

There is a good bet that some, if not all, of my rods, reels and lines will be going up for sale in the near future. At least at the moment I am 95% certain of it. I will be keeping my fly tying stuff as that is quite useful to spin fishing.

Something has happened to me while fighting all of these infirmities. I am not the same person I was and I think dealing with the thyroid was the thing that really put me over the top. Most of the things I once enjoyed no longer appeal to me except my camera. Oh well that is life.

Eric my friend. Please hang on to your stuff. You know that Jesus & Lotech Joe both love you. One day, things will get better. If they don't, then you haven't lost anything. I like spin fishing as much as you, but you and I both like fly fishing much better. So, stay the course and watch Jesus do what he does best. Email me or PM me if you need to, but let's stay in touch. I MEAN IT BUDDY.

Eric,

Keep your stuff. Put it in a closet or the garage but hang on to it. Pick up your camera and shoot and shoot and shoot. Post up you pictures for us all to see. I really enjoy your pictures. Someday aways in the future when you head out with your camera put one of your fly rods in the trunk of the car and after a few shots make a couple of casts. Who knows maybe it will mean something again. Like Joe and Jesus, I love you and like Joe I hope you keep in touch. So I can see your pictures.

Eric,

Looking forward to seeing your pictures here on FAOL. Eventually I'll expect to see some fish on those photos of yours! If you need to pare down the inventory, make sure you hold back a couple of fly outfits to fish your favorite stream when you get around to it. It only takes seeing a few nice rises to get the fly fishing blood flowing. I know that I do, and would enjoy tying flies whether I fish or not. Fly tying really is one of those "stand alone" type hobbies. As you know, there are any number of folks out there that have never fished a day in their lives, but enjoy fly tying for the artistic sense of it. I remember wanting to tie flies long before I ever thought about actually fishing with them. Keep the positive flowing and before you know it you'll be back on the stream with the long rod.

Best regards, Dave S. (a fellow Pennsyltuckian)

nighthawk, as others have said, please do not give up thefishing gear, Hopefully your passion for fly fishing will return as your health returns to normal. Have faith in Jesus and in the future to be out fly fishing as you have in the past. Have faith, and take care, John.

Eric,

Don't do anything rash. Put the equipment away, but not out of sight.

When we need to deal with our own mortality through our infirmities, frequently our priorities change. When our minds can encompass the realities, much, if not all, of the joy will return. (I do know of which I speak.)

Your "other Mother"

Eric,

Please wait at least 6 months before you officially fold your tent. Selling all your stuff is very hard to undo. Your recent experiences would discourage but please try to hang in there a little longer. The joy may return sooner than you think. 8T :)

Eric,

The truth be told, I do not enjoy the fishing as much as I do the communing with nature. The fishing is an excuse to get out there. I do not catch much. My casting sucks and fly fishing is, therefore, very frustrating. When I finally get that nice, tight loop that drops the fly right where I want it, I discover I have already snapped the fly off on the back cast ten minutes ago. I am getting much better at reading the water, and choosing a fly is getting better, but I still don't catch much. Let's face it. You need to catch a few for it to be fun. I am not talking a few every time I go out. It would be nice to catch a few between visits to Walmart for $30 fishing licenses. The spinning rod and Kastmasters are always with me and there are times I put the fly gear away and catch a few that way.

I could relate a lot more on this, but fly fishing is a part of my life, now. It is my golf. I do not go fishing often, but there is not a day that goes by that I do not do something related to fly fishing. To simply give up because I have limitations, would leave an enormous hole in my life as I think it would yours. Don't give up. Enjoy the hobby in any way you can. Share your knowledge with kids or wounded vets. I guarantee you will rapidly forget about your limitations helping wounded vets or handicapped kids.

There are lots of ways to enjoy this hobby. So you can't enjoy it the way you once did. There are plenty of other ways to be fulfilled through fly fishing.

I would suggest just taking a time out from fly fishing. I am on a long, 8 year time out from golf due to fly fishing . . . But I still have my clubs. I'll pick them up again someday. Like others said, pick up what you enjoy, your camera, and go take pictures. Dealing with health issues can change ones perspective. You may never go fly fishing again, but then again in 6 months, you'll be back at it. I would park the fly fishing stuff and not worry about it.

Hi Eric, sad to hear you have lost the love for fly fishing but am glad to hear you still have spin fishing to enjoy. Personaly I just like fishing, fly, spin, bait, jig anything that gets me on the water! If the photography is what spins your wheels at the moment go for it, but please do post a few pics here on faol, I for one would love to see them.
If you do sell off your gear and then find you want to get back in to fly fishing I have a spare rod I can send you at no cost to you a P.M. is all it will take, anytime.
Take care, best wishes.
All the very best.
Mike

Quote:

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I am not the same person I was and I think dealing with the thyroid was the thing that really put me over the top.

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fella, please do not take what i am about to say the wrong way; i been there and i want to suggest something: your medications may be messing with your head a bit.
this happened to me, and my family just thought i was tired or out of sorts because of the medical stuff. i wasn't incapacitated, just not interested in some of what i used to like. a friend said "Go get screened for depression. Some medications cause it." yeah, right, i thought, get off my back and go jump in the lake. friend insisted, so i did. whaddayano..some of my medications did cause the depression--and they were not known to do this, but they did for me. lots of adjustments and few compromises later and i'm back to loving what i used to. and i'm horrified i let the sun go out of life to such an extent, but you can't feel that from inside.
forgive me if this is out of line, but i just had to say something.

hinighthawk
after everything you've been through i can't imagine how you can be anything but depressed and worried. hope you've managed to get diabetes under control. give it a little time and talk to someone you trust and/or a professional but do let it all out. i did the same thing with fly tying tools out of depression plus illness and never thought i'd tie another fly. almost sold all my tying materials but could never get out of the funk enough to catalog it. all my fishing gear went during difficult financial times and that magnified depression. When you come out the other side you'll be fine, maybe even laugh about the stuff that gave life meaning and direction. whatever you decide fare well and be well my friend but please don't stop coming around here.

Having been away from the board for a quite awhile I am unfamiliar with whats been going on here . Yours was the first post that I opened. Sounds that you have been going through a lot of bad and sad times. Me too, been dealing with some pretty serious issues. Been fishing twice this year (still collecting gear though) and that isnt regular for me . Sounds like depression may have set in on you and speaking from first hand experience it is a crippler. Get checked out for your own peace of mind. It is an illness that can be treated effectivley.
Best wishes ,
Peter

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/a...achmentid=6329


How bout posting some of your fall colors that your talking about Eric I always have enjoyed them...

Eric,
Why burn the bridges ? You just may "change" your mind. Give it some more thought and then act as you wish.

Mark

life is good, enjoy your camera

I appreciate all of the sentiments folks and I do love all of you folks. Here is an oldie but one of my favorites:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...GP0950-1-1.jpg

I have caught a lot of fish of many species out of that lake. Lots of yellow perch, rainbowsn brown trout, tiger musky, big blue gills and crappies the size of an omelet skillet.

and another more recent one at the boat launch area for that lake:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...IMGP1929-1.jpg

You may want to talk to your doctor before you make any decisions. It sounds like you may be suffering from depression. With all you're working through...it's something to think about anyway.

Don't do it you will regret it im here to tell ya i sold all my gear on here earlier this year BIG MISTAKE but i lost my job and decided to part with my gear to make ends meet i went into a depression and sold everything now trout season is here all my buds are fishin and im home because i have nothing i'm without a job and have no money to replace it i feel the choice i made was a BIG MISTAKE that i will never be able to afford to replace now goin through these hard times and all the stress i wish i had all my gear and be able to fish with my freinds thats the medicine i need right now to make things better dont make a mistake like me keep your head up and keep your faith in the man upstairs the passion is still there it will come back.