Why education is important

There's a better ROI

I remember when my father took up golf again in earnest. I was thrilled. It was another thing we could do together. We both played at about the same level and enjoyed each other’s company as much as anything. We would each concentrate on our shots and give each other a hard time or a compliment. It was a lot like fishing together. The time spent playing was way more important than the score, the clubs or where we were playing. That’s what made it fun. We were enjoying the experience.

When people ask me about gear, especially fly rods, I recall a conversation from my days with dad. He told me he was in the pro shop looking at some new golf club. The pro said he would be better off spending his money on lessons. I told him to listen to the pro. My dad wasn’t a poor golfer (in either sense of the word), but if making better shots and carding a better score was his goal, then lessons rather than clubs were a better return for his money.

Same with fly-fishing, and I’m not saying that because I’m a guide. Learning to cast well is fundamental to fly-fishing. So is learning where to fish. No rod, reel, line or fly, no matter how well made, will improve your chance of success as much as good coaching.

Fly rods can’t teach you how to cast.