Fly Fishing why now ? I am just writing about my new experiences, due to Fly Fishing again at the ripe old age of 64 years young. I think a little back ground is in order, so you have an idea of what I am about.
I am no expert at all, so take this all with a grain of salt. There are 100’s if not 1000’s of really good expert fly fishermen and women, talking, giving great lessons, and videos about all the different techniques that are now being used in the art of Fly Fishing.
That is not me, my back ground started when I was very young living in Wales Great Britain when my father gave me a bamboo Fly Rod. I have no recollection of him ever fishing, so it probably fell off the back of a truck and knowing my Dad he acquired it from a local at his pub.
Go fishing young man!! So off I went.
The going was to a local stream where I put a worm on the end of a hook, the fluffy thing, in hind site a fly and cast into the back eddies of water to low and behold , I actually caught a trout. A big fat brown trout , huge!!! 6″ if the truth be told, but what a fish! a trophy and I was hooked so to speak.
In those days it went straight into the frying pan, no catch and release, who would ever believe you would put the fish back in the water! No those were the days when you fried them up, to spend the next few moments spitting out bones, telling yourself how wonderful this bony trout tasted!!! My Dad just looked on, no way was he going to eat that thing!!! Carry on old man!! Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that, under the noon day sun!!!
So the journey began. I did eventually figure out this fly thing and boy did I catch many trees, bushes, shrubs, myself in the ear, backside you name it, but fish NO.
In hind site at the rip young age of 10, the only thing I had going for me was a limited supply of flies that were dwindling at a rapid rate, and pure miss placed enthusiasm, mixed in with bloody mindedness.
Day after day off to the stream, which was a small narrow Welsh brook in reality. Not realizing that along the way I was learning to watch the water and approach with stealth, guile and welsh cunning.
If I could have got my hand on a stick of dynamite, did I ever know where to toss it!!!
I was beginning to know where the bigger fish lived, I could see them as I lay prone on the bank in my commando pose getting ready to call in the high artillery, in this case the biggest fly in my box.
Please remember at this time I had nobody to talk to or ask questions from. No internet! no books nothing, Dry Fly .Wet fly What!! No idea.
However looking at these fish it occurred to me that they where down deep in the water and not taking any flies off the surface, my aha moment! I grabbed a fly put on a split shot weight from my old worming days, wet or dry no idea , cast out and bang a good solid 10″ Brown, running all over the stream. No net, just a hard yank and out of the water he came like a rocket!! Straight into my frying pan!! Eureka!!!!
I fished like this on this small stream called the Morlais for the next few years, slowly learning, reading a few books from the local library. I would leave the house at sun up and be gone all day, coming home late in the day after dusk with my golden trophies.
My only concern was, did the local farmer put the bull out in the fields and if so which field? I cannot tell you how many times I would spy that beast at the top of a field I had to cross, he knew I was there and fair game. That was when I learnt the true meaning of geometry, angles etc, calculating my angles and speed thru the bottom of the field, his angle to cut me off. It was a close call a few times with me diving over the barbed wire and hedge row to end up in a tangled mess on the other side, praying my tackle had come with me!
Life is a funny thing, just as I was getting the hang of this my parents moved and we ended up on the coast, with no streams nearby. Being young and versatile I took up surfing and put the rods away for nearly 50 years. Later in life I did a few business trips where I was lucky enough to Fish the Florida keys and about 20 years ago I did go flying Fishing for 2 weeks deep down in Southern Chile with some business associates. Had a fantastic time, vowed to keep it up but business and life again got in the way.
So this brings me to the present, about a year and half ago my wife told me that I needed to get out more. Since I was not playing much golf anymore, why didn’t I start Fly fishing again? I let the thought percolate for a month or so.
One day I decided to go look at this shop called Bass Pro Shop, I had no idea! Unbelievable you name it, they have it for fishing or all outdoor sport a true wet dream!!!
Walking down aisle after aisle looking for Fly Rods, nothing, what the hell was I blind. I gave up walked up to a salesman and asked, where were the fly rods?
Simple in the Fly Shop! The Fly Shop what are you talking about I am in your shop! We have a Fly Shop within the shop, brilliant, off I went. Unbelievable a Pandora box opened for me, I was 10 again!!! Several hours later I walked out of there with a basic Fly Rod, reel, line all for the low cost of $150.00. Deal Done!! A few trips back later bought some flies, wader,net, etc and ready I am.
However I have no idea where to fish I live in a desert in Arizona!!!
Maybe I should have thought this thru some more! As they say in for a penny in for pound! or in the states in for cent in for dollar!!!
So know you know, this is about my new journey, an adventure, my story along the way. Beginning again, out into the wilderness to experience it all.
It is also about moving on with your life as you start to get older, what is doable, finding out your limitation, plus exceeding what you think you can do. I am going to post my fly fishing stories, what I am learning along the way. I still work, so I fish about once a week.
To the experts out there, tread softly if you read this. Your jobs are safe, this is just an uneducated guy bumbling along the curve of life, who has been lucky enough to re- discover the joy of Fly Fishing.
Flyfishingwhynow 