I miss fly fishing

[JackM]

Really, I do. For about 2 years, I have fished very rarely. And I miss it.

I envy you all when I read of your adventures astream.

Did I mention I miss it?

I could go right now. I mean it is possible. But there are other more important things to do. So,...


Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

Please add your thoughts.

 

[afishinado]

JackM wrote:
Really, I do. For about 2 years, I have fished very rarely. And I miss it.

I envy you all when I read of your adventures astream.

Did I mention I miss it?

I could go right now. I mean it is possible. But there are other more important things to do. So,...


Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

Please add your thoughts.

Fly-fishing is very important....it replenishes the soul. Don't risk riding on empty. Get out there today.

 

[dano]

Fly fishing gets in the way of the more important things I need to do. I'm weak minded.

 

[dryflyguy]

Oh , I have plenty of other important things to do to. But I just take my time for fly fishing as a given. And my wife understands that. There is always something that needs done around the house, or work to do on the 3 vehicles we own now. But that's usually nothing that can't wait a little .
There is only one week for the grannoms, hendricksons, and green drakes to hatch each year. And when they're on - I'm gone.

I always try to plan on doing all of my chores in the mornings, before I got to work - which is 2nd shift for me. And leave my off days open for fishing.
So, I guess I would say that flyfishing is my top priority. And just about every thing else, is planned around it. It's a pretty nice life - if you can do it I guess!

 

[Bosshog]

Isn't one important thing in life enjoying it?

That should be the most important thing on the list.

Go fish. Those "things" can get finished tomorrow.

 

[PatrickC]

JackM wrote:

Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

Please add your thoughts.

I certainly have nothing better to do….

We prioritize what we want in life. Sometimes more important things like illness of a family member or something to that effect does take over. Nothing you can do about it. But in many situations, you have to set and ask yourself…"What am I chasing in life?"

I believe in balance. I make sure my 4 ladies are taken care of, above and beyond basic needs first. As for work, I'm not a money guy. I don't live in a fancy home. I don't drive a fancy car. I just don't care. I make a reasonable living (far less than most would assume, less than 6 figures), but there is no house or car out there that would make me want to work 80 hours a week to pay for them. I make sure there is carved out time in my week to get on the water after my responsibilities are met.

And as I see it, I could buy a lot of alcohol and pay a psychiatrist (because I have a tendency to internalize the personal issues of my family, friends, and patients)…or I could just go fishing. It keeps me sane and it's an investment worth making for me.

 

[whheff]

I started to fly fish 10 years ago. I had a very good friend that talked me into doing it. I am glad I started to fish again.
I retired 4 years ago and the last time I fished, I was probably 15 years old. For the next 35 years, I was involved in family and work and had little time for myself, except for the occasional golf outing.

Now that I am retired, fly fishing gives me a chance to do something for my self. Weather that is important or not, I can't say but I always come home feeling physically and mentally recharged.

So I guess I would be one of those people who have nothing more important to do. I have a good family, a good wife and a good life. I feel I have accomplished the important thing in my life.

I'm going fishing.

 

[hunter1]

I'm retired. When I worked i had to fit fly fishing around work and family.Now Kids are all married and out of the house I work everything around fly fishing.Happy days.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I make time to fly fish.

 

[Volksnurse]

JackM wrote:

Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

.

Define important. We prioritize based on need. I've had stretches where I've fished more, and stretches where I've fished less depending on what has been important at the time. Some of the guys I fish with are closer than family when we're fishing. We can go months without talking and pick up right where we left off when we do go.

Being in the middle of a "dry spell" as far as quantity of time fishing, I think the few times I've gotten out in the last several months have more value to me than when I go fishing every few days.

I have important things to do. Fly fishing is one of them.

 

[brookieaddict]

JackM " Fishing is not an escape from life,but often a deeper immersion into it" Harry Middleton


So get out and immerse.

 

[djs12354]

JackM wrote:

Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

Please add your thoughts.

Jack

When I was younger, I used to fish regularly with my Grandfather and brother. Later it was my brother and I. Then, for a long span of years, I did not touch a rod.

A friend of mine had moved to the area from Illinois and asked where to fish near us. I took him riding around, showing him the different lakes near us. Dan decided to try fly-fishing and convinced me to try my hand. This started my journey back into fishing.

What I've learned from getting back on the water, is just how relaxing it is and how much I was missing. I make it a point, with my wife's encouragement, to get out a minimum of once a week, even if it is only for a short time.

Rearrange your schedule and priorities to allow yourself some time on the water. You will feel much better for having done so.

Dave

 

[wgmiller]

To determine how important fly fishing is to you, you have to figure out where you are on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs :lol: I'm with PatrickC; fly fishing is a part of balance in life. Like anything, if you let a hobby or interest become an obsession, you lose balance. Keep it in check and you can live a happy life. I could very easily become addicted to fly fishing because it truly is one of the most rewarding hobbies out there. To research streams, learn techniques, tie flies, navigate to the stream and the stream itself, on and on... It's just about so much more than catching fish. I never put pressure on myself to catch numbers or big fish. Just 'being out there doing it' is enough satisfaction for me. The rest is merely 'icing on the cake'! Make time for yourself to do the things you like to do. In the end, no one keeps score and you can't take money with you.

 

[troutbert]

If you don't have time for flyfishing, at least go for walks.

 

[Stenonema]

I'm certain that I would be wealthier financially if I had never fly fished. But there are things worth more than money.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

JackM wrote:
Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

Please add your thoughts.

It serves as both for me. Usually I conquer my mountains before I head to the mountains. The long work week, piles of homework, the responsibilities of being a husband and a father and an active member of a church, that comes first. When I go fishing, it's usually after making sure I've fulfilled these duties. It's a big reason why I rarely get out fishing on week nights, and a reason why I won't fish on Sunday mornings most times.

That being said, there have been times where fishing has allowed me to get "important things" done. I remember one time in particular where I was preparing a pretty heavy lesson for our sr. high class at church. I was pounding the desk for hours, simply trying to find a starting point. Finally, I threw my hands up in the air, said, "I'm going fishing", and when I got back a few hours later, I knocked out a complete lesson in about 90 minutes. Sometimes you just need the batteries recharged.

 

[KeithS]

I'm just getting back after shoulder surgery. Not getting out at all was extremely frustrating, especially throughout September and October. I did take a few walks and just watched trout, and others fishing, but to not have a line in was very frustrating. Not fishing is not an option. I don't even need to catch. I need fishing to calm myself. It puts all the crap into perspective.

 

[greenghost]

JackM wrote:
Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

The short answer is neither. For me, fly fishing is the more important thing. This famous quote by Robert Traver is the closest I've read to explain it. But as good as this is, it still falls just a tad short for me.


“I fish because I love to. Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly. Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape. Because in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing what they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion. Because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed, or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility, and endless patience. Because I suspect that men are going this way for the last time and I for one don't want to waste the trip. Because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters. Because in the woods I can find solitude without loneliness. ... And finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important, but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant and not nearly so much fun."

 

[FarmerDave]

JackM wrote:
Really, I do. For about 2 years, I have fished very rarely. And I miss it.

I envy you all when I read of your adventures astream.

Did I mention I miss it?

I could go right now. I mean it is possible. But there are other more important things to do. So,...


Is fly fishing just for folks with nothing more important to do? Or does it let you do important things, after you have taken the time to go fly fishing?

Please add your thoughts.

Welcome to my world for the past 10 or 12 years at least. The majority of my fishing has been in my back yard, actually for the past 19 and most of it was not fly fishing. There were a few years where I didn't even bother buying a license.

I recently have decided to make time to fish more, and I do mean flyfish for trout including steelhead. I hope I can continue that.

I have decided it is good exercise for the body and mind and I need both.

 

[David]

I'm right there with ya, Jack. This is the least I've fished in about 4 decades. And when I do make it out, I'm rusty, so it takes most of the trip to shake off the rust!