A couple of weeks ago one of my fly tying students, having
some difficulty with an operation, said aloud, "this damn
thing will never catch a fish anyway!"
Sad to say he is probably right.
When you sit down at your bench, whether to tie old standards,
or to experiment with a new pattern, it is of the utmost
importance that you do so with confidence. If you like to
speak aloud, by all means satisfy your urge.
But say, "damn, the fish are going to gobble this sucker up!"
Too many times on stream we see fisherman beating themselves,
standing where they should be fishing etc.
This is bad enough in and of itself. Why on earth would we want
to study tactics for approach, presentation, fighting and
releasing fish, and then fish a fly in which we had little
or no confidence?
Many prophecies are self-fulfilling, and success on stream
is no exception. If you think positive, you may well have a
positive result. Conversely, negative thoughts are a sure
path to failure.
Don't handicap yourself at the bench. Tie the best flies you
can, the fish will not mind, and quite possibly will show
their appreciation for your imperfections.
The whole purpose of our craft is to relax and enjoy some
time away from the day to day tension under which we all suffer.
Don't add another layer of stress to your burden, relax and have
fun. You will be rewarded far beyond your wildest imagination
for the effort!
If you have any tips or techniques, send them along, most of this
material has been stolen from somebody, might as well steal your ideas
too!~ George E. Emanuel
(Chat Room Host Muddler)
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