Don’t be afraid to learn
And don’t beat yourself up
When someone sets out to learn a new skill like fly-fishing, it can be unsettling.1 They want to be good at it and the struggle can be tedious. If it’s truly something they want to learn, they should remember, it’s the start of the journey and there are wondrous things to learn ahead.
You’ve got to start somewhere
Being bad at something doesn’t mean you can’t do it, it just means you need to learn more. Learning to fly-fish is a series of sequential skill-building steps. Casting, tying knots, reading water, setting the hook and landing fish are examples. Focus on one step at a time or even just a part of that step.
Ask yourself, “what am I trying to do and what are the steps or motions I need to do to do that?” Take a breath and try again.
Focus on the fundamentals, not on the future.
Understand you're a beginner; rushing won't lead to success. There’s tremendous wisdom in the adage, “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” Don’t get ahead of yourself by trying to do too much at one time. Focus on the step or action in front of you.
When you don’t have to think through each step and you're doing it right most of the time, you can move to the next thing.
It gets easier (and more fun)
It's hard to accept that your ability is limited.2 Don’t judge, enjoy. Free your mind of extraneous concerns, don’t worry about mistakes, that’s all part of the learning experience. The skills will start to come together more often. Each accomplishment will feel better. If things fall apart, take a step back to the basics.
The river teaches and the fish grade
I tell my clients and students, “time on the water is the best teacher.” Time on the water is where the real learning takes place. It’s the crucible that forges many indelible lessons. Regardless of the type of water you fish, it’s never routine, every situation is unique. Those variations are a syllabus for your education.
I have yet to meet the person who has not learned something from every fishing trip. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus put it, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”
Don’t be afraid to step in the water and start your journey.3
Of course I think learning to fly-fish is a great thing to learn, for so many reasons besides catching fish.
Even when you think you are good, you can get better.
Here’s my pitch for taking a class from Mossy Creek Fly Fishing.
Tremendous wisdom here Tom.
Slow things are good things.