I came across this excerpt of David Brancaccio’s PBS Now interview of author Kurt Vonnegut, and it got me thinking. Brancaccio is asking Vonnegut about a story from his book, “A Man Without a Country”. Vonnegut’s wife asks him why he is going out to buy an envelope. Here’s the excerpt.

BRANCACCIO: What happens then?
VONNEGUT: Oh, she says well, you're not a poor man. You know, why don't you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so, I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I'm going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope.
I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babes. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don't know. The moral of the story is, is we're here on Earth to fart around.
And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don't realize, or they don't care, is we're dancing animals. You know, we love to move around. And, we're not supposed to dance at all anymore.

Now I didn’t miss the irony of typing this on my computer or you reading it on one, but I hope you will let it slide for a moment.

Envelopes

The reality of this phase of my life is I’ve learned not to take things too seriously. I’ve put in my time on serious stuff and Vonnegut’s words “we're here on Earth to fart around.”, rings very true. For me, and I suspect many of you reading this, our “envelope” is trout and our “dance” is fly-fishing.

When I’m not guiding, my fishing trips are my chance to go out and have a hell of a good time doing something you can’t replicate on a computer. I’m not really after the brook trout, as fine and fun as they are, it’s the chance to get out and dance in nature that drives me.

Failure

Which leads me to another thing I recently read, Kirk Deeter’s article, In Fly Fishing, Failure IS An Option… (and That’s Just Fine). If you want some encouragement to get out and dance, Deeter’s article serves as a fine bit of motivation.

“Learning curves are cool, and they sure as heck shouldn’t be barriers, especially in a sport that connects you with the outdoors and all the wonderful feelings you can have as river currents wrap around your shins.”

For those of you who may be questioning your fly-fishing decisions or abilities, let Deeter’s article serve as encouragement to stick with it.

“Failure is, in truth, the key to satisfaction. Because when you do link all those variables together—you find the fish, you make the cast, you choose the bug, and you present it just right… and you see that big ‘ol snout come up for a sip… that’s the best puzzle you’ll ever solve. And that’s the greatest measure of success any fly angler can hope to realize.”

The triangle

If you need it, here’s another reason to get out there; time on the water is never a waste of time. Gaining practical experience helps with putting pieces of the puzzle together. It’s a critical part of a triangle, comprising knowledge, resources and skills, I learned in my search and rescue days.

Here’s how those three elements work together. A lot of fundamental, academic fly-fishing knowledge comes from reading, watching and listening. There are terrific fly-fishing books, newsletters, videos, teachers and guides out there. You can buy, borrow or be given resources like fly rods, reels and other gear to get you out on the water or make your time on the water better. The physical skills needed cast a fly rod are not beyond most people’s grasp. But, as you can see, without all three, your opportunities for success are diminished.

Let me see if I can tie all this together.

You probably have guessed, if you have read this far, that I’m leaning in a certain direction when it comes to the three legs of the triangle above. I often tell clients and students, “the river teaches and the fish grade.”

Book learning and excellent tools are not only important, but part of the enjoyment of fly-fishing. Using that knowledge and those tools is another reason to get out and go fly-fishing. It’s our chance to learn from our failures and get out and dance and have a hell of a good time. Fun, satisfaction and experience, what more could you ask for?

Dispatches from a Trout Wrangler

We’re dancing animals