1. World travel on a whim.
2. Sunrise
3. Learning new ecosystems from bottom to top.
4. Creating an custom imitation consisting of feather & fiber. (the home cooked meal)
5. Discovering new forms of luck.
6. The perfect “shot”, the not so perfect shot and even the blown shot – Where the fish erupts and takes off.
7. Feeding the fish you’re after.
8. Watching the fish charge the fly repeatedly missing it. Nerves!
9. The solid hookset.
10. Heart in your throat, the fish has taken so much backing and is so far away that the plane of the line is almost flat.
11. Grabbing a fish by the tail.
12. Multiple and repetitive jumps.
13. Observing the amazing intracacies of the fishes coloration and pattern.
14. Iridescence.
15. The “One hand lift”.
16. Explosive releases.
17. The skilled & careful kill.
18. Cutting and processing the fish.
19. Cooking and sharing it with friends & family.
20. Wildlife encounters, humans included.
21. Wild edibles.
22. Spawning new fly fisherman/women and their rapid/rabid progression.
23. The effortless feeling of a perfectly loaded rod.
24. Boats.
25.The unique fusion with other outdoor activities. (climbing rock and trees, free diving, trail running)
26. Gravel and sand filled floor of a shitty automobile.
27. The peanut butter & jelly deli.
28. Fly shops with dogs.
26. Scuttle.
27. Putting a person on their first fly caught fish.
28. Knots and creating new ones.
29. Doing the “Creek dance” (Stumbling & sliding)
30. Fishing dogs.
31. Boils and times where all form and composure are forgotten.
32. The unnecessary usage of spey casts.
33. Fishing alone.
34. Measuring the “cool” of a spot by how well it echoes.
35. Tides.
36. The morning frost and fog, “Steelhead crunch”
37. My floor covered in fly tying material and having the flashiest feet in town.
38. The many colors & clarities of water.
39. Massive cedars, devils club and muskeg.
40. Palmyra, mangroves and marsh.
41. Boojum, cacti and red sand.
42. Various drinks concocted and consumed prior, during or after fishing.
43. When communication deteriorates to simple hand signals, grunts or screams.
44. Making “secret caches” stocked with flies, tippet, etc.
45. Quality gear, especially when its free.
46. Rock hounding.
47. However I’m able to both photo and fish.
48. The progressors & ambassadors of the fly fishing life.
49. All of the friends I’ve made along the way.
50. Sunsets.
Thanks! I could spill the beans all day.
So – Sunrise to Sunset- living life on the fly can be comparable to catch and release… ?? Enjoyed the 50 reasons, waiting for another 50 while in NY!
Jeff…great stuff as usual. Can I be you when I grow up?
Thanks Les! I’d have to be a grown up first, right?