I jam the Ipod the whole way to and from the stream, but it stays in the car. Getting away from all the distractions of the modern world and being out in a beautiful natural place is a large part of what makes fly fishing so enjoyable and appealing to me. I wouldn't want to miss any of the sounds of nature by listening to music. I find the sound of the stream and birds very relaxing and enjoyable. Then there is the fishing, the excuse for being on the stream in the first place. I love to get away from it all, but I also enjoy catching fish. The sound of a fish rising is often what draws my attention to a particular piece of water as I'm walking or fishing another piece of water nearby. I've caught countless trout by stumbling upon a riser like this. If you plug in and tune out, you are effectively handicapping yourself by limiting one of the most important senses used to locate and catch fish. When you are way out in the back country, it is important to listen to what’s going on around you for safety reasons. If you're on state game lands, you want to be able to hear and move away from gun shots. You want to be able to hear that bear that comes out of the woods behind you (just happened to me). To sum it up, leaving the ipod in the car allows me to enjoy the sounds of nature, helps me catch more fish, and keeps me coming home in one piece.