​Fly Fishing and Fantasy Football

So, I took up playing fantasy football 5 seasons ago. I’ve been to the playoffs four out of five years and have won it all twice. Not too bad I think, especially since others have been doing it 15 years and only won once.

So what’s the secret to my success?  I would have to say, adaptation. Each year, there’s different players to roster, different folks in your league, different rules, different format….you have to adapt. If I had to say there one thing I’m good at, it’s adapting to the current situation.

What does that have to do with fly fishing? 

To be good at fly fishing, you need to adapt. 

The weather conditions aren’t always perfect, the moon many not be optimal, the hatches can be sporadic, there maybe be a number of people on the water, and ... someone is in your favorite hole.

Too often I see fly fisherman torturing themselves trying day after day, week after week, trying to use flies, methods, and spots that have worked in the past. 

Look, particularly in reference to river fishing, there’s certain spots that hold fish, but that’s not all year long. Trout will move to find water temperature and oxygen, without that, nothing else matters. Find the water combination of water temperature and well oxygenated water.

The same is true for not only the flies that you use, but the style of fishing you’re doing. If you’re fly fishing in February, you’re probably not going to get much to rise in most areas of the country. You need to go down deep, and probably not with streamers, it’s going to be a nymphing game. If its dry fly season and you’re not even getting a refusal, change it up.

I actually take no less than 3 rods with me on any given trip. A dry fly rod, a nymphing rod, and a streamer rod. I want to be able to adapt. 

I’ve had just as much success at fly fishing, if not more, than I have at fantasy football. The biggest advice I can give you is this: Think outside the box, do things not everyone else is doing, learn and understand your situation and adapt to it. 

Tight Lines and Screaming Drags.