Go Fish! All About Fly Fishing
Its just you and the environment.
Isnt this the most primitive stage of them all? Man against nature in a battle
measured by verifiable results. We see this in hunting, in sail boating, and
other maritime sports, in mountain climbing, even in extreme sports like
snowboarding and rock climbing.
Nature is the most primal arena there is. Hence, there is a certain appeal to
nature that makes us want to challenge it. After all, how we fare against
nature will tell us so much about how far we have come as mortals. It is a
reaffirmation of our sense of self and a celebration of our humanity. It is an
exhilarating feeling, a thrill that is hard to match.
And set in the backdrop of this ancient struggle is the addictive passion
called fly fishing.
(Note, if you will, that I referred to fly fishing as a passion. To call it a sport
would be too limiting. To call it a mere hobby would be too shallow a title
for this activity.)
With fly fishing, its you against your environment, and that environment
can be one formidable foe. It controls the calmness or roughness of the
waters, the velocity and the direction of the wind, and even the factors that
determine the congregation of the salmon, trout, pike, bass, or carp.
Indeed, the environment you will be competing against is a tough nut to
crack, but just ups the ante, doesnt it?
Imagine if you were able to topple all the odds against you. Wouldnt that
provide a more satisfying sense of accomplishment? Wouldnt that tell you
that you have what it takes to defeat the seemingly insurmountable
challenges? Wouldnt that reaffirm who you really are?
And wouldnt that be a great cause for celebration?
Fly fishing, in this regard, can be considered a microcosm of life. If we are
able to be competitive in this field, we should be able to be just as
competitive in all aspects of life. Its a matter of logic. Its a matter of
nature.