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You really should read this. Not so you will get a whole
lot of great information about fly fishing, in fact at
this time in your 'fly-fishing' a whole lot of information
is about the last thing you really need. Nope, I am going
to let you in on a secret. First of all, you are not alone,
and all these guys who you think know so darn much about
all this stuff were at one time right where you are right
now. So there!
You have the rest of your life to learn about things. And
trust me, even then you will not know all there is, or even
all you think you should know. Funny business, this fly-fishing.
It may look like a sport, a recreation or at the very least
just another way of removing a fish from his liquid home.
Not so.
I know several things which it is not, but for the life of me
I can't seem to nail down just exactly that which it is. It
seems to be different things to many people. No one gets the
same out of it, kind of like we each carve it up to fit our
needs and desires.
Trust me, you have enough problems right now. Like you thought
when you blew fifty bucks on a fly rod and then found out you
needed another hundred for a reel and line, yikes! You got in
way in over your waders and still don't have the nifty fly-vest,
let alone those waders.
So, here you are, not much to show for it, out more dough than
you figured on and some jerk starts to give you a raft of stuff
about the cheap fly rod you got stuck with. Well, there ain't
no cheap fly rods, nor reels, fly lines, vests, waders or any
of this gear! It all costs plenty. My point is, the rod and
reel combo, or whatever you have, will do just fine for right
now.
No, it will not cast like the guys in the magazines, but you
can't cast that way yet either, no big deal. It will get your
fly to a fish and that's the name of the game. Don't sweat
the small stuff, get on with it, get out there. No time to
practice casting? For right now it doesn't matter. Get some
time soon the water and get some of it in your leaky waders,
hang a few flies in trees, bust off a few tippets, unravel
a couple of poorly tied knots, try not to break any rods 'tho,
and have a great time. We all did it just that way and so
can you.
If you must, go ahead and take a class or whatever turns your
crank, but you can have a grand time with just what you know
now. You may be lucky enough to have a buddy you can tag along
with, that could help. How much you learn and how fast you
learn it, what equipment you choose to buy and use, where and
when you go and what you fish for, these and more are all
under your control. There are not many things in this game
you must do, some may try to convince you otherwise, but
the choices are always yours. Win or lose is not important
and it's not how you play the game; it's playing the game
that counts.
I was having a discussion with my wife the other day about
how this fly-fishing scene has gotten all screwed up. I, as
usual, was complaining that what we read about fly-fishing
today is so much different than in the past. Most of it now
concentrates on 'how to' do some particular thing, usually
that the writer knows how and you don't, and if you don't
soon start to do it his way you are inferior or something
like that. I'm probably as guilty as the rest of doing it.
Even on here you can find specific details on how to tie
flies, read the water, cast a fly-pole and just about
anything you might think you need to know or learn about.
But, I usually try to bring a flavor of how things were
written about in the past. Some of my columns have been
a bit on the silly side I suppose, but a message was
usually included. Many were only to inspire and give a
chance for a few thoughts to occur or memories to be
stirred. Often there were far more questions than answers,
(there is a very good reason for that.)
The sad part is that the things which were presented years
ago are still there. And you can easily find them, they are
in books, old books. Instead of reading how to cast a
hundred feet, or tie a Latin named bug, the old books
contain situations and stories and fun stuff. Like a
guy using a stiff leader with a one-winged dry fly and
casting it so fast it twists the leader and when it lands
it spins and the big brown takes it and he clamps the
reel and line in his hand and slowly backs up, upstream
and tows the brute out from under the old log.
(Whirl Away McSneak, C. Fox)
There are no maps of the stream, no names of the motel he
stayed in, no mention of the state he was in or any of the
'important' things. Just a story that was probably based
somewhat in fact. Not what brand or rod, nor it's length,
size, weight or pedigree.
If you decide to hang a bit of worm on a dry fly and let it
slip downstream under a log and pull out a fat brown, so
what. It is your choice. You will have to live with the
memory tho, and if the truth be known, you will be in good
company if you do. We all started at the same place. Right
where you are. Right now. Go fly-fishing during the day,
read an old book in the evening and enjoy life to it's
fullest. ~ James Castwell
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