We have all been there; rising fish everywhere and you don’t have a
clue what they are eating. For many anglers this is where frustration sets
in and golf begins to look more appealing with every cast. However, for some
anglers this is where the fun begins.
Recently I had one of many long discussions with my nephew, Tom Travis. Tom
is seven years my junior and he spent much of his childhood following his
Uncle Neil around. In his early teens I taught him how to use a fly rod, and
later he sat on the back porch of my house and I taught him the rudiments
of fly tying. Ultimately he graduated from high school and joined the US Air
Force and spent two tours of duty in Vietnam. Returning home he followed his
Uncle Neil to Montana and in a few years he had developed into a first class
angler and fly tyer. He long ago surpassed his mentor and it makes this old
man a bit proud. He is an internationally known fly tyer, accomplished instructor,
and world class fly fisher. For these reasons our discussions about fly fishing
are often long and detailed.
Our recent conversation revolved around what makes a person a successful angler.
We kicked various items; technique, casting skills, luck, technical ability
and general angling knowledge. While admittedly each of these attributes,
even occasionally blind luck, play a part in making a person a successful
angler we both felt they were not the total answer.
“I believe,” I said “there are two things that are imperative
in making a person a consistently successful angler.’
“And what might those be?” he asked.
“They are observation and the ability to take those observations and
formulate a plan of action that will result in getting the fish to respond
to your offering.”
A big grin appeared on his face and he simply nodded his head.
~ The Chronicler
Originally published September 28, 2009 on Fly Anglers Online by By Neil M. Travis.