Even though I make my living as an educator, I found it very difficult to accurately convey the basic principles of fly fishing to a friend. JohnMark and I have known each other since childhood and even though he was my brother’s best friend growing up, I consider him a good friend myself. He was in town checking out the area with the possibility of moving here, and we decided to take a day and do a little fly fishing. Although spin fishing on the Hudson River is JohnMark’s specialty, I attempted to show him a good time on the small streams of Arizona. The evening before we spent a little bit of time in the community greenbelt practicing our casts and awoke early in the morning in order to be first on the stream. It was a beautiful day and after a few fish to hand, I spent the remainder of the day trying to get my friend on to some fish. After several missed takes, he connected on a beautiful 12 inch wild trout. As I saw him admiring his fish and gently release it back to the dark pool it came from, it almost pleased me as much to see someone else enjoying fly fishing as much as I do…almost. He already is asking questions about which rod to choose and I can very easily tell when the venomous bite of fly fishing begins to run its course and take hold of another victim.
I’ve only been fly fishing for a little over a year now and it still amazes me how addicting it becomes in such a short period of time. Beautiful fish and pictures as usual Ben!
Bill,
I’m in the same boat as you, having only been fly fishing for a year or more. It has completely taken over my life but I’m surprisingly ok with it. Thank you for the encouraging words.
Ben
Very Cool! I have had a similar experience with my brother. Spent 8hours with him and I only made a few casts, the rest of the time was spent helping him catch brown’s on a caddis dry fly. It is an excellent feeling helping someone bring their first trout on a fly to hand. Again very cool.
It sure is rewarding. Ever since I started fly fishing, I’ve had those thoughts about what it would be like to be a guide and be on the water full time. But watching someone else cast and fish all day takes some self control. I don’t know how those guys do it full time.
Ben
Yea, I don’t think that would be for me but at the same time it’s one of the best ways to become better yourself, time spent watching, thinking, slowing WAY down.
Great recollection, thanks for sharing that. Enjoying the success & accomplishment of others is a rare quality in people these days.
Love the post. Is it as rewarding to teach someone to fly fish as it is to teach students?
Thanks guys for the encouragement. Bruce, teaching in the classroom is extremely rewarding and I enjoy it immensely. It has its ups and downs, but at the end of the day and the end of the year, I can look back and see the progress that has been made. It is very similar to a day on the water. Having said all that, if I had to choose between 5 days in the classroom and 5 days on the water…I think I could easily choose the water.