Fishing for Responses

[comanche]

dedication-is why i think it is a way of life-if youre not dedicated too it i think you will drift away from it -if you are dedicated it will be for life-and yes i am the same way with bow-hunting??

[DaveP63]

“Racing Is Life. Anything That Happens Before or After is Just Waiting.”

[Threedayweekend]

FFishing is like golf to be good you have to throw everything you have into it. Most people don't understand that you can catch fish like that. They really don't understand that for the most part FFishing the actual fishing part is just a small portion of the whole picture. And they really really don't understand that you may be able to catch more fish a different way but you choose to do it your way not because you are stuborn but becasue you have choosen a "life style" that is differnt and that is ok. The life part is the love of nature and keeping it the way it should be not the way you want it to be.

[Ray Kunz]

I've been involved in fly fishing and fly tying for over half a cebntury and here is my thought.
When you grab a fishing "pole" and associated gear and go out to catch a fish, you are fishing.
When your interest extends into things like what is the "rod" made of, by whom, when was it made and how does its performance differ from others now it starts to become a passion. This broad interest covers all the aspects of your activity.
Not only what fly are you using and how are you presenting it but, what size, color, what phase of the insects development does it represent, from what materials is it made and could I tie one that might be an improvement?
Carry this investigative attitude into tha many facets of the hobby and it now becomes an obsession. And I use this word in a positive sense.
You'll end up collecting comments and opinions from other equally inflicted folks and try to cross index them to help in drawing some general conclusions and then try to mentor other newbies to help them avoid all your mistakes.
It's really more than a passion. Maybe it's an obsession or even a disease.

[Mato Kuwapi]

What Ladyfisher said. It consumes you. You think about every little scrap of fiber, wrapping material, fur, feather and think what can I make with that. Your library gets taken over by fly fishing books and so does your mail box. You dream fly fishing. You plan your trips around fly fishing. You look at the seasons and think about fly fishing and how the seasons change what you do...and you learn that there are more seasons than spring, summer, fall and winter. You plan your trips not only around fly fishing but the hatches. In Michigan, the big one is the Hex hatch. Out west...the salmon fly. The first big hatch of spring (opener), Hendricksons. Summer tricos... and so it goes. Catching multiple species...what haven't I caught, then going for it and the how. What haven't I caught this way or that. Today it was a derby. The water was hot on the surface which meant the rainbow were deep. How do I get my fly to them. The bonus comes when you figure it out...and pull off a win. You constantly go on to pursue and perfect. What flowers are blooming when certain insects are present. What are the birds doing? What sounds do you hear. What's the difference between the sound of a big fish and a small fish. Trust me my friend...it never ceases. That's fly fishing.