“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
- Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu, as is the case with many ancient historic figures, is hard to pin down as an individual.  He may have existed, he may not have, he may in fact be something of a committee (Sun Sr, Sun, Sun Jr,  - individuals tend to get jumbled especially after a few thousand years. )  Most historians believe the Art of War was written between 476-221 BCE with the historic figure of Sun Tzu (Wu) living 400-320.  The work is valued as both a military text and an example of Taoist philosophy in context.

Personally I think the Art of War ought to have been entitled the Art of Common Sense since so much of it is concerned with simply not being an idiot.  If you are as interested in history as I am, you will soon come to the realization that many of the drivers of history were in fact morons.   There are very few true geniuses in politics in any era or region, geniuses know better.  Seriously anyone fighting a land war in Asia needs their head examined.

What do this have to do with fly fishing?

Nothing yet everything.

The PEZ Dispenser of Wisdom would have The Flyosopher’s head on it.

I wont insult your intelligence by getting into the know your enemy part.  Every good fisherman knows that understanding the behaviors of the fish they seek is a vital part of the game.  Trout, pike, bass, all creatures have their own natures.  These are tempered by their environments, and quite possibly by the individual qualities (I hesitate to say “attitudes”) of each fish.  Learning to understand these factors is probably my single greatest joy in fishing.  It is my belief, that Man’s place in the natural world is as the being which can see the threads that bind all creatures together, to protect them, and hopefully to have the ability to mend them should they break.  This is why we should never be to quick to “know” but eager to “think.”

The second part of Sun’s advice is the harder of the two - to know yourself.  Luckily for us, we are only taking about fly fishing.

However, I feel very few of us ever take the time to know what is actually going on during a presentation.  How deep is the fly really sinking, what does it look like in the water we are fishing, can the fish detect it, and perhaps most importantly can the angler use it effectively.

Fish live in a three dimensional world, yet the part of the world that we see most clearly -the surface - is only two dimensional.  When we make a cast we tend to think of the x,y coordinates of where the fly will fall.  In reality we need to also think in terms of depth.  For instance, if a fish is 30 feet away directly in front of you holding near the bottom in water ten feet deep, casting 30 feet to the fish will not get the fly into his Zone of awareness.  Rather, you have to consider the situation most notably the power of the current and make a 40, 50, or even 60′ cast up-current of the fish.  Perhaps, you will also need to change your line or shorten your leader.  All of that starts with a simple change of thought.

Likewise picking a fly based on what it looks like in the fly box is a common practice, but what does it truly look like in the water you are fishing? Consider the marabou streamer.  Fluffy and soft it seems like the fly would have a lot of movement, collapsing and puffing with each strip.  How does it look in a stillwater pond, a heavy rip, or in a swift stream?  In each environment that marabou is going to respond differently.  Fly materials will also effect how it sinks.  So a natural marabou may look better but a synthetic may get a bit deeper and thus be more effective.  Too often we get caught up on the way a fly looks, when the key to success may be something far more simple like can I get this fly to that fish.  A perfect Deceiver may fail where a crappy Clouser works.  In murky waters or at night, the same philosophy may apply to snake flies or flies tied with rattles.  Another concern is how does this fly fit in to the situation you are fishing.  If you are fishing a huge school of bait, and you fly matches the bait perfectly that may be the worst thing you can do, and yes sometimes the opposite is true as well that minor details in a fly are required for it to work.

My point is actually a very simple one.  When you tie on a fly have a reason in your mind, when you change flies do so for a reason.  Work the problem.  This will accomplish two things.  First it will help you catch fish, more importantly it will help you build experience as a fisherman.  When you work situations actively you come to understand them.  In terms of learning, the worst thing that can happen is to be successful with the first thing you try.

Finally, whatever fly you are using you need to be able to do so.  I practice casting with a variety of flies in a variety of conditions for three reasons: to improve my skills, to understand what my limitations are, and because it is fun.  If a bar running parallel to the beach is 30′ away in some places and over 200′ in others, it really doesn’t matter if the fish are further away, I simply can’t reach them.  Likewise if the fish are holding near the bottom, there is a certain depth beyond which a fly can not reach.  We can try to draw the fish up, but more often it is better to just eliminate this water and search elsewhere.  Fishing from a boat adds range, but some presenations are extrememly difficuly to perform from a drifting boat.  Hone your skills as sharp as you can, know what you can and can not do, and then do the possible and do not fret the impossible.

A fly fisherman should never open his box, and choose a fly on a whim.  Know why you are doing what you are doing, become like a child and question everything.  You will still get skunked from time to time, but you will learn and gain experience.

When you reach a point where you value the lessons more than the fish, than perhaps you too will be a Flyosopher and able to hear the Dave’s Hopper that is at your feet.