WP3

Kaleb Stroman

Professor Benz

WRIT 1133

14 May 2019

Beyond The Fish

            The rythym of 10 and 2, as the line soars back and shoots forward, the hope of a fish rising to your fly is what a fisherman hopes and dreams of. As the water rushes by the waist and the chirps of the birds howl in the mountain backdrop, the hope of a fish to rise is an added bonus to what a fisherman seeks.

            This type of day is what a fisherman hopes and wishes for, and what brings them to the river over and over again. As time passes the idea of a fish becomes less and the idea of feeding the soul becomes more apparent. Although every fisherman wants to catch a fish, and potentially ties flies, buys the gear and devotes their life to the sport. Every fisherman wants to catch a fish, ultimately the goal of a fishing trip is to catch fish, they really want to experience those moments that an outdoorsmen loves and remembers. Over time one won’t remember the process of catching the fish, but who they were with and where they were.

            Through the interviews of an avid fisherman, professional guide and famous author, it seems that fly fishing is less about the fish but more about the life lessons and life long memories. Men like Michael Agostinho, a high school teacher in Parker, Colorado is an avid fly fisherman and an historian of the sport. He is a man that has devoted weekends and has gained friendships and experiences through the sport. He discusses that the biggest lesson he has learned from fly fishing is having patience. He says that from the experiences on the river, he has learned this life lesson and has put it to use through his day to day life. He also talks about how fishing has “expanded my horizons in regards to being a more well-rounded person, you meet a lot of new people and make contact with a lot of people”. He explains that this is important because of the fact that he has made new friendships and developed new skills with people.

            “Within fly fishing there is an etiquette that you have on the river”

Agostinho discusses that when on the river the etiquette is like being polite to people on the river, picking up garbage that you see. Through this etiquette, the overall reputation of fly fishing holds up, but also you’re a part of something bigger than oneself. Doing these simple types of tasks just shows that fly fishing is more than just about the fish but more about the experience and along the way hopefully picking up a couple important life lessons.

“I think the biggest thing is time, you have to be willing to put in the time to read websites, and blogs and go to fly shops”.

This idea of putting in the time to be successful in the sport is to be able to catch fish, but having the ability to catch the fish brings those memories and relationships between strangers that is important to make those moments on the river special. For one to be able to help another angler on the river and share that common knowledge is something that helps lead to those long lasting moments.

Finally, Agostinho states “I don’t know who said this quote but it’s something along the lines of, when you go fishing you don’t go to kill the fish, you go to kill the negative parts of yourself”.

Agostinho after saying this talks about how that when he goes to the river “it’s a way to disconnect from reality, and just connect to the river”. Something really important that fly fisherman seek and appreciate about fishing. As a member of the fly-fishing community, I catch myself saying to people “yeah I’m going fly fishing, I need it”. When I say the part of needing it, it is something that I 100% mean. With the stress of school, lacrosse and everyday life I find myself needing the tranquility that nature brings, and luckily for me that’s at a trout stream.

 In the book Fool’s Paradise written by John Gierach, he discusses the beauties of fly fishing not only, through catching the fish, but also the beauties that come to us through just by being there. In the first part of his book he discusses the fish he’s caught, where’s he has been and what has kept bringing him back. In this specific section he says “I came to like bush pilots because, even though most are at least as competent as their uniformed counterparts, their lids aren’t screwed on so tight”. This part of his book really brings out what fly fisherman love and appreciate. The fact that they get to meet people much different than them, but get to experience something that fly fishing has brought them. Gierach talks about an experience with a pilot named Bernie who was an interesting and a real comedian. He talks about the experience he had with Bernie when talking about plane crashes and Bernie said “If we go in, tighten your seat belt, put yer head between yer legs, and kiss yer ass goodbye”. Gierach states that he appreciates the type of humor and honesty that Bernie brought to the trip.

Fly fisherman have experiences like the one between Gierach and Bernie all the time, it may not be in a plane flying to a remote part of the world in hope for giant fish, but maybe through the simplicity of a guided trip or an outing on the river and are fortunate enough to meet a character like that.

Although I haven’t been fishing for 10 plus years, I can say that I have had experiences like this. From the guy who screams every time he catches a fish, to me reeling in a 22 incher and hearing the words “Fuck, what are you using?”. Although it doesn’t compare to flying with Bernie, it sure does put a smile on my face and makes me appreciate the whole environment around me.

One of my favorite quotes when reading Gierach’s book is when he is asked “‘How can I reach you?’ I thoroughly enjoy saying ‘You can’t; I’ll be fishing”’. This mindset embodies the mindset that so many fisherman have. The simple life. The idea of disconnecting and as my mom says “be where your feet are”. Something we all need at times. In the moment. And in Gierach’s case he is in the moment at all times and clearly enjoying it. Simple words from a simple man, but a saying that echos loud in my mind.

Recently I conducted a survey asking questions to people in the community discussing how long they have been fishing and what times of year they fish and also the times of year people fish. This is just one example of the results that came out of my survey.

The majority of people I interviewed clearly were experienced between 1-5 years, but also they all said that they considered themselves a part of the fly fishing community. This is a good statistic because this is a community that overall is very welcoming because of the fact that they want to share the experiences that all fisherman want.

            On the same survey I asked the question: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from fly fishing?. These were the responses.

These responses are very similar to what Michael said. Patience is key. If you’re not patient then you’re not catching fish, plain and simple. But it’s simple because patience is what keeps us there and because of that, we can experience the beauty and trueness of what fishing brings us.

            Personally, I have been fly-fishing for about 5 years now, and I can say that the community as a whole have been really encouraging and welcoming. Through having encouraging guides when I first started, to meeting the wise old man on the river that talks about the weird fly he is using to catch the 30 inch rainbow in the most random spot.

            This past weekend I went fishing on the South Platte in Deckers, Colorado. I pull up to the spot where I love the scenery and solitude, also it’s a bonus that there are large fish back there, but when I get out of the car, I met two men asking me how I’m doing and what I’m going to use. As I told them, I asked “you catch anything” their response was simple but alarming, “no”. But as I wadered up I thought to myself, I am going to catch these fish, but if I don’t I’m going to have a hell of a time trying.