Fly Fishing And Frustration

[RabbiEE]

From my article this week:

 

Fly fishing is filled with times of frustration: getting rained out on the stream, losing a fly in a low hanging branch, being unable to thread your thin tippet line through the hole of a tiny little hook because your hands are too cold. One time I drove an hour from home to fish a new river. When I opened the trunk to put on my gear, I discovered that I had left my fly fishing rod at home. I had my vest and my net, but no rod. I sat by the car and called myself an idiot repeatedly.

 

Perhaps the ultimate frustration of fly fishing is not catching any fish. Sometimes no matter how advanced your casting skills, or how perfectly tied your flies, the fish simply will not rise. Trout are picky. And the task we set before ourselves is difficult: to attract a fish to bite a hook wrapped in thread and wool.

 

When I am on the river, and nothing is happening, no matter what fly I use or where I cast, I get frustrated. I try to rationalize the situation. I say to myself: “I’ll just use this time to practice my casting.” That usually does not work for long. The sport is called fly fishing, not fly casting.

 

Over the years, I realized that frustration from not catching fish usually has to do with expectations. As my skills developed and my casting improved and I could catch many more fish in an afternoon, my expectations began to rise. Today, a few hours on the stream that do not yield a single bite might cause some serious frustration.

 

But expectations on the fly fishing stream are probably a waste of time. Not too long ago, someone asked me for the most important tip in fly fishing. I said to him: “Be sure to look up from the river every once in a while, take a breath of air, hear the soft sound of the flowing water, and appreciate the beauty of all that surrounds you.” In fly fishing, when I expect to catch trout, I am guaranteed to be frustrated sometimes. When I expect to be out in nature, to soak in the solitude of the stream and to leave behind the stress of the world, I find fulfillment. An afternoon of fly fishing always provides me with solace and a sense of peace.

 

I may still get frustrated when not a single fish rises. When that happens, I will try to remember the time I went fly fishing and left my rod behind. After I discovered that I could not fish, I decided to go hiking along the stream. I saw deer and ducks. I got stuck in “sinking mud,” almost becoming a permanent resident of the stream. I spent time outside, in nature, and I was able to look around, to relax and to appreciate the beauty of our world. And I learned that sometimes you do not need a rod and reel to have a great fly fishing trip.

[ham]

Well put, I liked the sinking in the mud part and permenently becoming part of the stream gave me a laugh haha

[esleech]

The sport is called fly fishing, not fly casting.

The sport is called fishing, not catching, as well. I agree, i do get frustrated too. Life always comes down to perspective.

[SilverDoctor]

"In my family, there was no clear division between religion and fly fishing."

 

~by Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It, 1976~

[toolman]

Welcome to FFC, RabbiEE.

I enjoyed reading your article. Thank you for posting it. I recall reading a great Fathers day piece you wrote, that flyangler linked for us.

Recently, I have used the slow fishing days on the river, to observe and collect the aquatic insects in the drift. Some of my best days on the river lately, have had few trout on the line, due to high water run off conditions, but have been great adventures nonetheless.

I hope you will join in the discussions here at FFC and share your fishing experiences with us.

[RabbiEE]

Thank you for your kind welcome. I'm happy to be a part of the forum.

 

Rabbi

 

Welcome to FFC, RabbiEE.

I enjoyed reading your article. Thank you for posting it. I recall reading a great Fathers day piece you wrote recently, that flyangler linked for us.

Recently, I have used the slow fishing days on the river, to observe and collect the aquatic insects in the drift. Some of my best days on the river lately, have had few trout on the line, due to high water run off conditions, but have been great adventures nonetheless.

I hope you will join in the discussions here at FFC and share your fishing experiences with us.

[lonefisher]

Everything you said is spot on..... I think that overcoming that frustration and enjoying even a brutal skunking just and enjoying the stream for what it is is one of the major accomplishments of fly fishing. Today I wandered about 2 miles on a stream I had never fished and never saw a single fish...... some might call that a waste of time. I don't regret it though and I may walk that stream again.

 

PS Welcome to the forum

[Hawgstoppah]

But expectations on the fly fishing stream are probably a waste of time. Not too long ago, someone asked me for the most important tip in fly fishing. I said to him: “Be sure to look up from the river every once in a while, take a breath of air, hear the soft sound of the flowing water, and appreciate the beauty of all that surrounds you.” In fly fishing, when I expect to catch trout, I am guaranteed to be frustrated sometimes. When I expect to be out in nature, to soak in the solitude of the stream and to leave behind the stress of the world, I find fulfillment. An afternoon of fly fishing always provides me with solace and a sense of peace.

 

Amen. Once I slowed down and figured out what it means to really enjoy a day of fly fishing... I've never looked back. I used to count and keep stats religiously. Now I can't remember if I got 6 or 7 or 5 the last time I hit the river for an hour, but spending time with an old friend (a finned one) was priceless... Not that I caught it.. but I did spend some time with it.. it enjoyed my company for a short while before spitting the hook again.. must have been the 6th time I personally have hooked and lost this fish.. (damn that fish, it's still there this year, prob close to 30" for those who know which fish and which river I speak of)..

 

but truth be told, I think I just really enjoy just getting out, and meeting new people, and being by a river rejuvenates me... now again when I get to the river I am giddy with anticipation of fishing it...

[Carlodabroads]

Well put Brother,

Fly fishing clears the mind for me more than anything, and there is no better feeling than looking around to see what you are surrounded by. We are a blessed bunch.

 

Cheers.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

I find the more frustrated you get, the worse off fishing will be. I know that after i catch that first fish i relax, and catching comes a lot easier when you're just not trying as hard, since you're focused on making those casts, instead of beating yourself up over not getting anything, or losing that last one

[RonD]

Agreed!

 

In the olden days I would patiently try to sort-out some kind of abominable FU for about five minutes before going nutso and stupidly/violently ending the situation.

 

My old dot-matrix printer almost went 7 metres before settling into a splintering crash ... after vexing me so much for so many times.

 

But now I get a gawdawful knot and I just sit down and plug-away for (usually) as long as it takes ... not always, but much more than before. Very Zen-like

 

"Raise up your eyes to the hills."

 

Ron

[SanJuanWorm]

Amen. Once I slowed down and figured out what it means to really enjoy a day of fly fishing... I've never looked back. I used to count and keep stats religiously. Now I can't remember if I got 6 or 7 or 5 the last time I hit the river for an hour, but spending time with an old friend (a finned one) was priceless... Not that I caught it.. but I did spend some time with it.. it enjoyed my company for a short while before spitting the hook again.. must have been the 6th time I personally have hooked and lost this fish.. (damn that fish, it's still there this year, prob close to 30" for those who know which fish and which river I speak of)..

 

but truth be told, I think I just really enjoy just getting out, and meeting new people, and being by a river rejuvenates me... now again when I get to the river I am giddy with anticipation of fishing it...

 

Brian,

 

My favorite is when you start swearing at the fish.

[LynnF]

That's awesome RabbiEE. Only in the last couple of years have I figured it out the way you wrote it. Prior to that I was on a mission to prove I could catch fish by whichever means I could. Now I could care less. As my husband says - it's called fishing for a reason, not catching. Catching fish is just a bonus. And that's so true. I actually walked a stream last Saturday without a rod and had a hand in teaching some new fly fishers and my youngest son how to catch a trout on a fly. It was probably the single most rewarding day I've had on stream so far. And I saw some scenery that I hadn't seen in the dozens of times I'd been there before.

 

Look forward to reading more of your stuff!

[Hawgstoppah]

My old dot-matrix printer almost went 7 metres before settling into a splintering crash ...

 

LOL... did it see my router over there? My router has more air miles than a lot of folks I know

[Pipestoneflyguy]

So True ! - great read !

 

Reminds me of the time I have arrived at a lake miles away with the pontoon, but no oars (and then put a hole in a pontoon fishing from shore !) could have kicked a kitten into a fan that day LOL

 

I have learned to enjoy fishing without catching fish - you have to with some of the exploring I like to do. that said, it all pays off many times over when you find a honey hole in a place where no self respecting angler would ever think of looking.