The Progression

I ran into a fishing client this week at the ski shop, and as our conversation turned from the subject of skiing to fishing, we remarked about the progression of fly fishing that he has gone through, like many other anglers. This client was someone that I had taken many years ago as a beginner, that had progressed through the sport to become a great angler. It is quite interesting to see the progression that almost every fly-fisherman makes from novice, to accomplished angler. Once a novice has learned to cast, all he or she wants to do at that point is to catch a fish...just one fish. The thrill of catching that first fish is like nothing else. After this, anglers tend to get to a point where they want to catch as many fish as possible; it becomes a numbers game. This phase can last a very long time, sometimes years. At some point in this stage, the angler will hook and land a very large fish. This is where the next stage starts; hunting for the largest specimens only. Numbers don't seem as important anymore, it's the quality that you are now after. At some point even further down the road, after netting many large, beautiful trout, there is a revelation. It's not about quantity, quality or even catching a fish. It is about the periphery experiences in fly fishing that keep us coming back for more. Travelling to new places, seeing old friends, being on the water in pristine environments, and forgetting about everything else but the moment. This has been the progression for me. Here is a shot that Scott Smith took of me in the "moment". Gorgeous, evening light on the Owyhee River, Oregon, working a large Brown trout taking dries. I didn't get him, but no matter...I had the river to myself, in a gorgeous spot, with a large, wild trout feeding just below me.