Nature Reflection #10

 

Growing up in Minnesota, I would fish off my dock at the cabin or occasionally go out on a boat with friends. I enjoyed it, but never loved it. It was too boring. Too predictable. My dad, having grown up in Colorado, was a talented fly fisherman but we never had much opportunity to practice. Starting summer before my senior year, we started going out on trips to the Snake River in Idaho and that began my obsession with it as well. The moving water, the artistry of a perfect cast, the beautiful places in which you do it, the fight a trout gives you, all of it. It is amazing. On that same fall break trip, my dad and I were able to sneak way early on morning and fish the San Miguel for a couple hours. This picture encapsulates the adventure of fly fishing. You often have to bushwack in and then are constantly moving along the river, trying to find the next perfect hole. The sound of moving water constantly fills your ears, but beyond that there is silence aside from the variety of random sounds nature will produce. I learned a powerful lesson on shortcuts this outing. Attempting to cut up to a pool beyond the next bend, I quickly found myself surrounded by 10 foot elephant grass and pits. 20 minutes later I was out and fishing again but definitely did not take a short cut. Like golf, there is an endless level of skill to achieve within fly fishing. From the way you cast to how you naturally you imitate a fly on the water, it will take a lifetime and more to master. At the end of the day, I got one fish and my dad caught zero (much to his chagrin). That is often how it goes with fly fishing, but it doesn’t matter when you are doing it with people you love in a beautiful place. I feel very lucky to have a dad to share this with and I know it will give me a lifetime of memories with him and my children.