[Steak Daddy]

I went fly fishing for the first time this past Sunday. We fished the Skagit in the morning and the North Fork of the Stillaguamish in the afternoon. I had a great time. I went out with a few buddies that pointed me in the right direction. As in golf, I'd say the foursome had an "A", "B", "C", and "D" player, a great first experience. Our "A" player hooked at least 10 Chum on the day, but was unable to get any in hand. The "B" player hooked three chum, the first one got deep in his backing running a deep channel on the Skagit before his leader clipped, his second Chum could barely muster an autonomic twitch, and his third was a carcass dredged off the bottom. What a spectrum! The "C" player and myself were both blanked, but still enjoyed the day.

Here are a few of my first impressions:
1. Standing in a river cleanses the soul (the Baptists are really onto something here...)
2. Waders are a beautiful thing!
3. Flycasting is fun!
4. Good friends are priceless.
5. This is a dangerous sport for an obsessive personality...

I'm completely starved for information at this point and am looking for material to read and digest. I've enjoyed scouring this website and am eager to learn more. What an invaluable resource you've got here. I look forward to learning from and sharing with you all.

Steve

 

[mtlhead]

5. This is a dangerous sport for an obsessive personality...

How true this is! When I first met my wife I was still a Drift Gear Whore, and she wondered why I didn't Flyfish. My responce was that the gear was much more expensive, and I've spent enough already(I had amassed near 30 Loomis, St Croix and Lamiglas rods and many more reels). Today I'm selling the last of that gear and buying more Flyfishing Gear. Will I ever stop? Doubtfull. Would my wife be surprised how much gear I've collected that she is not aware of? To say the least! One thing I've found out about myself is that if it has to do with fish, I'm obsessed and addicted to it. But hey, as I tell my wife "It could be worse, I could hang out at Sports Bars instead of Gravel Bars!" :THUMBSUP

 

[Guest]

Mtlhead
" I was still a Drift gear whore"

And now youre a flyfishing elitist?
GEAR WHORE

 

[mtlhead]

No, not an elitist by any means. I'm not sure if you're joking around or not, but I'll take it as the first. The whole "Fishing" thing to me has been a pretty deep journey for me, a progressive thing. I have just taken it to the next level for me now. I had gotten to a point where I was no longer getting the satisfaction I used to from fishing, it became a hame of numbers where If I was not in the lead, I was'nt happy. There are so many things that I can/will learn by focusing on Flyfishing, and for me I decided to focus on this by eliminating all other distractions (i.e. #'s and drift fishing). I love the sport of Fishing, but I find more peace and serinity than I have ever experianced, in the Flyishing lifestyle. :COOK

 

[Guest]

Mtlhead
Flyfihing is some how on a higher level than gear fishing?,
and with its own " Lifstyle".
I find saticfaction and peace on the water no matter what
rod is in my hand.

 

[Sparse Grey Hackle]

Metlhead, is was nice to meet you last week on the lower river.

Your right about peace and serenity. Think of the logistics of the whole thing; It takes such a large area just for a fly guy to operate! We really couldn't combat fish even if we wanted to!
We would be tangled instantly. Thus to avoid tangles, we hike a little further, go to streams and lakes a little smaller, and a little more out of the way. In doing so, we begin to associate the outdoors with out of the way places that time has forgot and consequently form a different or more unique opinion and definition of "being outdoors than most commonly accepted."

Sparse

Streams are made for the wise man to contemplate and fools to pass by.
(Sir Izaak Walton)

 

[Bob Triggs]

There is a fine line between devotion, passion and obsession. If you find yourself sleeping in your car, alone, cold, homeless and listening to the trinkling of a river as you gaze at the stars through your frost covered windshield, and all you are concerned with is the status of your flybox; some will say you have "arrived" and others will say you have "gone".It reminds me of a great old quote, I think by Rilke:

"In a world retreating, one moving toward the Light
will appear to be running away".

So welcome to this grand obsession of art and lore, and beautiful wild places, both within and without.This is one place I have found where people really help one another and the game can only improve, and the resource only benefit, from all the good will.