I was thinking... October 08, 2023

Author's note: I'm dispensing with the email header graphic. I wasn't happy with it and don't think it adds much. I did put a cute kitten and dog picture at the bottom.

Mistakes

I was watching my grandson practicing layups. He started to get down on himself and saying he wasn’t any good at basketball. I stopped him and told him to learn from the mistake rather than focus on the failure. Think about why the ball didn’t go where he wanted it to and to think about what he needed to do to correct it. He thought for a moment, made a slight change, and sank the next few attempts. Of course, I started thinking about how this was a lesson I had learned about fly-fishing. It’s one reason I love it. It’s as much a mental game as a physical one.

Intentional

My friend Todd Tanner wrote this informative article, The 10 Commandments for beginning trout anglers,¹ in Hatch Magazine. It is well worth reading, even for an accomplished angler. His most important point was at the end.

“There’s one last point I’d like to make. The best fly fishers tend to make conscious choices about their angling. They fish intentionally, with an eye toward enjoying themselves rather than mimicking others or following the crowd,” wrote Tanner.

Tanner captured the essence of my own fly-fishing, being intentional. As I think about it there has rarely been a time when I went fishing and didn’t do so with intention. It might be to get away, to fish somewhere new, to try a new rig or set up. It is that intention that got me out the door, headed to the water and enjoying it.

Simple ain't easy

The attraction of fishing with a tenkara setup is the simplicity it brings to fly-fishing. As I often say, “It’s a stick, a string and a fly, with an optimist at the other end.”

As a guide, I caution my clients that because it’s a simple setup doesn’t mean it’s easy. Think about a guitar; it’s a simple instrument, a box with six strings. Strum it and it will make noise. But it takes understanding and practice to make music. Same with fishing. You can wave the stick, string and fly around, but it takes practice and understanding to catch fish.

Thanks to a reader

This week I met a reader I’d never met in person for the first time. That person often comments with kind words and was the first to buy me a coffee.² I can’t do justice in words to describe the joy that brings. My friends and family say kind things about my work, and it is always welcome and appreciated. But when a stranger introduces themselves, it hits differently.

As I said to that person, “I don’t write these 100 or so words for an audience. I write them to hone my skill and keep faith with my goals. When my words resonate with someone, it’s a wonderful feeling.” They know who they are, and they have my heartfelt appreciation.

Problems need solutions.

I’m getting increasingly ruthless in asking “what problem are you trying to solve?” to myself and others.

Often when I’m in meetings I listen to the discussion and often I ask myself, “what problem are they trying to solve?” If there isn’t a problem, why are we meeting? If it is to “update” the group, that’s fine, but does it need to be a meeting? 

When I worked in retail, I asked the customer some form of “what problem are you trying to solve?” question. It helped me get a fix on what they needed and what solution I could offer. Same with guiding. I’d ask a form of “what would a successful day look like?” question than tailored the day to try to make that happen.

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1. The 10 Commandments for beginning trout anglers

2. You too can buy me a coffee or a few flies