Why We Fly Fish
My undergraduate degree is in engineering. In the world of engineering, there are definitive right and wrong answers. There are formulas in chemistry, laws in physics….absolutes on how to get from point A to point B.
Fly Fishing is the polar opposite, and a refreshing opposite for me.
I write tips and tricks and the like very frequently, however, there is no recipe or formula. Certainly there are things you can do to put the odds in your favor, but there no guarantee you’re going to hook up with that rainbow rising 50 feet away with the fly you’re presenting. If there was, how boring would that be? Half the fun of fly fishing is figuring out the right fly, the right presentation, at the right time.
Fly Fishing is hard, it’s challenging, and certain parts like casting are not intuitive to many. If you’ve gear fished, chucking that spinner bait out is intuitive. You’ve got to whip that rod, get some momentum, release at the apex and let it rip. The lift, load your rod, back cast, wait, let the line extend, forward cast, load and stop…..not so intuitive.
I think in part that’s why there is an elitist notion to the sport.
It’s not easy, and if you’ve developed into some form of capability, there’s pride in that. Personally, I can’t stand the elitist attitude. At RiverBum, we are very welcoming. I don’t care how good or bad you are, there’s always a spot on the river for you. None of us started out as experts, that’s for sure.
The challenge in fly fishing does a great thing though - it forces you to immerse yourself into it. If you have a high stress job, that all melts away when your toes are in the water. You are in some of the most beautiful places on earth. Many times there’s no cell phone access, for me that is a major plus, and the waters are pristine.
That's why I fly fish.