I’ve never been the type to pushback on change, in my former career I embraced the challenge. Honestly, I have always thought that change is healthy and a sound way to grow as an individual while also keeping your focus sharp and that brain of yours constantly working. But I wouldn’t be honest if I said that many of the changes I have witnessed in fly fishing have been something that I am willing to embrace. Certain things you just don’t want to change, and inevitably fight them tooth and nail until you finally realize that it is a losing proposition. But people like myself, as many of you know aren’t the type to follow the pack so to speak, and if something doesn’t pass the smell test will quickly divert and change course.
I have come to embrace a few things that have changed on the waters that I call home. When I first frequented the banks of one particular fishery; one that I was on hundreds of days a year at one time in my life mind you, If you were fishing anything other than a 0-4 weight rod with a dry fly, you were the exception not the rule. At that time in my life, I was most definitely the exception as I spent a majority of my days matching hatches in the subsurface realm almost exclusively with some time spent fishing dry flies and then streamers on a semi regular basis mostly dictated by what was going on in front of me.
Today however, when I drive or walk the banks of the same fishery things have significantly changed. Aside from the labyrinth of newly beaten paths that grace the banks that get larger and larger from the daily barrage of man made erosion, the roles have now flipped. I would say that the majority of anglers are high sticking nymphs while the minority of anglers are casting dry flies to rising trout. Trivial I know, but an obvious and notable change in what was once the “norm”. Now I myself have changed in my ways too; I fish with nymphs rarely these days, more with dries and streamers if anything even though I still deem myself a trout fisherman to the core regardless of the fact that I chase dozens of species outside the trout realm both in fresh and salt water yearly.
Maybe I changed to be different? I’d like to think that might be a small part of why that is, but I would largely argue that with a body of work, in this case closing in on 4 decades of time spent on the water, my life’s progression as an angler has brought me here because these are the things I enjoy most about fooling fish with a fly rod. That’s probably why I have such a penchant for fishing with streamers, but then again, in todays world I’m told that this isn’t a very technical way to approach fishing for trout, and to be quite honest I’m fine with that. I wholeheartedly I thank those of you who turn your nose up at the method of flyfishing for trout in lieu of other methods most often involving long rods, mono and a fly reel. I won’t judge you, so the expectation in return is the same.
I guess it was made very clear recently in a discussion with a younger industry friend of mine when the topic came up, he looked me in the eye and said I didn’t know you fished nymphs? After a loud chuckle I embraced the idea that most have considered me that “streamer guy from Connecticut” but have quickly forgotten or just simply do not know that I do so much more. In the end none of it truly matters, I fully recognize the fact that unlike many fellow anglers, I am spoiled by living in close proximity to a couple of rather good trout fisheries. I mean, I can literally be at the waters edge in the time it takes most to run a mile even if slowly, and that also affords me the option after years of time spent on said fishery and the knowledge gained to literally pick how I want to fish for the day.
But once again I digress, so let me get back on point. A few stories of yesteryear usually unfold shortly there after although I am starting to realize they really do not matter much, but some listen and many don’t cuz you know well “I’m just a fly tier”, and I take that as a compliment. Guess all those years serving the public made my skin overly thick; or maybe I came to the realization that at the end of the day it is only fishing, and that what is in front of me is what is most important. More seem to miss that these days, but once again I am not here to judge.
Since I have all but hung up my guiding career for the most part; only doing a handful of trips a year for a very small number of past customers and friends that I have been fortunate enough to make, the top guides in the area has also changed. Not only has the faces changed, but so have the means by which they choose to fish for the same trout with a fly rod. Many of you know that I have been rather outspoken on my moral compass in regards to angling with a fly rod, and although some respect it and move on, many do not and take it personally. Look, you do you and I’ll stick to me, I’m not looking for your approval. You head downstream and I will head upstream cuz that’s just how I prefer to fish. Who’s right or who’s wrong is not important. Once again it’s fishing and there are many ways to fool a fish but many have seemed to lose sight of that notion.
This leads me to another interesting observation, it seems there is two very strange things going on not just in flyfishing but in society these days. One is this sense of community and the other is the concept of the herd mentality. Most logical people realize that you simply will not have blanket agreement on anything and that blanket acceptance and agreement just isn’t realistic. Free will and choice give humans the ability to experiment freely despite always wanting to have an edge. Humans will always strive to find an easier way to get to the end result, which in reality can be good and bad. I’d argue that the new cyber parallel world that we now have accepted has some serious flaws. You can fake your way with many things in that cyber world, but in the world of flyfishing nothing compares to knowledge learned and garnered through simply being out there and doing.
I will say that despite this urge for community in the flyfishing world, its even more evident that the divide amongst anglers is cut even deeper than ever before as a result of this cyber alter universe. Look, the sooner all of you self proclaimed do gooders realize that like life, people have the ability to fish how they chose, when they chose, and where they chose and that they don’t necessarily have to follow your lead, the better off you’re gonna be. Just get out there and unplug, it is primarily why many of us gravitated to flyfishing in the first place.
This past week I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow angler who embodies what I have just laid out there in the aforementioned paragraphs. While wading a particular sand flat in search of cruising striped bass, I crossed paths with Bill. Now I preface this with the fact that I have been coming to this particular swath of sand for about 20 years now on a semi regular basis, and I have seen Bill just about every time I have visited. Dressed the same mind you; seasoned waders, raincoat, weathered stripping basket and small chest pack with his green pliers seated in the front pocket. On this day however, Bill was walking out as I was coming off the flat due to a rather nasty pile of clouds that had the occasional rumble of thunder.
Bill stopped and struck up conversation and we delved into a 45 minute friendly conversation about our experiences on this exact stretch of sand. You see, I learned that Bill fishes this beach every day, he leaves his house and walks to the same pile of sand in hopes of tangling with some of those migratory fish that come and go with each season. His approach is simple, he packs lightly but regardless of what he does or has with him he goes here everyday to be by himself to recharge his batteries and clear his head. Bill most likely isn’t on any social media, he doesn’t scroll feeds to keep up with the Jones’ and he most certainly isn’t doing Tiktok’s to profess his dominance in the virtual world. Bill simply goes flyfishing and when he isn’t doing that he is spinning up a few flies that have inevitably left some vacancies in the selection he brings with him every day to that same beach.
Bill still travels to fish, and was kind enough to share a few stories about places he’s been, many of which I had experienced as well. Come to find out, he was eager to hear about my experiences in the same locales; even relaying situations we both encountered on that same water albeit at different times as if we were there together. Bill is also friends with another close fishing friend of mine who guides the area as well, and as our conversation unfolded the feeling that Bill and I had known eachother for years took over the conversation.
Crossing paths with Bill was a sound reminder that as stated earlier, you really need to be focused on what is right in front of you, and that just about everything else is a distraction. I have always tried to stay grounded with that premise with my family and the things that I enjoy most, but will admit that the cyber world has dug it’s claws into me a few times in recent years; but I guess when you sit in a chair for several hours a day tying flies this can happen to the best of us. So as I finish this excerpt, and get my gear ready to ascend upon a mud flat with my wife and two daughters in hopes of finding a bounty of clams for dinner, I cant help to look forward to crossing paths with Bill as he is a reminder of why I live my life the way that I do. Hopefully when I am Bill’s age, I too will have the mind to live my life in the manner in which he does, because quite frankly, if it’s not right in front of me, it simply ain’t worth a shit anyway.