There was this guy that I knew many years ago. I say that I knew him, but in reality I was only aware of him. If I ever knew his name I have long since forgotten it, and I doubt that I could pick him out of a photo lineup after all these years. I suspect that we may have spoken less than a dozen times over the years but I was aware when he was not around. He was a loner, not sullen or unfriendly but someone that seemed to enjoy his own company.
Trav,
I was wondering if I was getting complacent about my fishing. Maybe I just enjoy fishing the way I do. I always seem to have a great deal of fun and catch my share of fish. Maybe simple is better.
REE
Ron,
I don’t know if I would call your attitude or mine complacency, but more toward the idea of contentment. I realized some time back that, when it comes to fly-fishing, that the only person that has to find enjoyment in how I fish is me. Quite a freeing thought quite frankly. Robert Traver, one of my favorite curmudgeons, said 'I fish because I love to," and it took me a few years to appreciate the honesty and worth of that statement. Once I did it totally changed my outlook and attitude about fly-fishing. I cast well enough to put my fly where I want it, my presentations skills, while not perfect, allow me to fool enough fish to keep me happy, [you can fool most of the fish some of the time, and some of the fish part of the time, but you can’t fool all of the fish all of the time - some famous person said something like that], and I’m content with that. At the end of the day I have enjoyed the experience, I’ve pleased myself, and I make don’t need to apologize to anyone if my way of fishing does not meet their idea of how it should be done.
Now that is refreshing.
Neil
Trav, wow! After wading through several posts and reposts about this way and that way and more than one argument about who is right, or what is right, as well as a re-hashing of topics that have been ‘debated’ to death, it was refreshing to be reminded that each one of us needs to take a deep breath and decide, and perhaps not feel the need to debate, what works for each one of us. I’m comfortable with what works for me and thank you for the timely reminder.
Kelly.