Flyosophy

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.

Since I’m not entirely sure what a blog is exactly, this will be more like a column.  What you can expect to find are articles that will seek to help you improve your basic fly fishing skills – casting, tying, presentation etc.  I feel I am an ideal teacher of these skills because I am a student of them.  One of the greatest joys of fly fishing – or of life really – is learning, I am always trying to improve my skills and to better understand the fish we seek and the natural world in which they thrive.  I also hope you will get some laughs out of it.  It never ceases to amaze me how often one person will tell another he isn’t having fun right.  Could never understand that.

I guess that should serve as a suitable introduction, hmmm I think I’m going to need a picture of me at the vise in a toga…I so need to make that happen.

~ by Sean Juan on March 4, 2009.