My favorite moment in fly tying is when the hook is in the vise and you have yet to decide what you will tie.  Freehand tying is as good a term as any.  That hook could end up as anything you can imagine and you can imagine a lot.  Then without really trying, you can just about see the fly on the hook – still need to make a few decisions about materials and color, but you have an idea. That is enough to start with.  The first wrap on the bare hook transforms it forever.  It was just a hook no different than any other, now it is a fly an embodiment of the pattern in your mind.  It is unique, it is yours.  Though it may never catch a fish, it is special and you feel a measure of pride because of it.  Fly tying and fly fishing are filled with such moments, small victories and joys.  That is why for nearly 30 years it has been a part of my life, and I have yet to grow bored of it despite my Attention Deficit Disorder.

The best way I can sum up fly fishing’s role in my life is to simply say it is what I think about when I’m not thinking about anything.  I cringe a bit whenever I hear people describe fly fishing as an addiction – addictions are negative, they take from you make you less than you are.  Even the term hobby is incorrect – hobbies are merely a way to pass time, they are little more than something you do.  I won’t get into the wrongness of thinking of fishing as religion.

To me fly fishing is a way of life, a way of thinking, a means of expressing yourself, more than an art it is a complete philosophy.  It is like being a Ninja, there really are no ex-Ninjas or Ninja holidays – it is what you are take the mask off you are still a Ninja.

The name of this blog “Flyosophy” in addition to being a snarky pun was chosen to reflect this.   In nearly every decision I have ever made, fly fishing has played some part.  It is why I live where I live, work where I work, and most importantly why am I who I am.  Fly fishing is my philosophy, whether I like it or not, and thus I am a Flyosopher.

The success of a fly fisherman can not be measured in pounds and inches.  The fish may be a reason for the quest, but not the goal of it.  A fly fisherman knows that he is where he is supposed to be, that he is doing that which he is supposed to do.  Whether fighting a trophy fish, or passively watching a spinner fall, he is at peace and he is happy.

That’s the key, to me at least.  Fly fishing makes me happy.  I enjoy every aspect of it.  Understanding the natural world, the kinesiology of the perfect cast, raiding grandma’s stole collection for dubbing, the catharsis of hooking, fighting and losing a magnificent fish, these moments and countless others combine to form a pretty damn good life, a fly fisherman’s life.  Fly fishing is not merely something you do; it is a large part of who you become.

I am glad that I got that off my chest…which is massive and incredibly strong I must add.

In all honesty, I sometimes wonder how my life would have turned out had I never experienced fly fishing.  I figure I may have become an astronaut, or one bright Tuesday in September I may have started running through the streets wearing naught but chucky peanut butter.  Who can say?  Fly fishing is an integral part of my life.

It’s a good life.