"Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." - Henry David Thoreau
Everyone’s reason for going fly fishing is different. I once had a person tell me I fished to much and why did I do that. For me fly fishing is part of my life. It’s where I’ve found my best friends in life. Its a place where it can take you to explore some of the most beautiful spots on this planet with rare and threatened fish that will humble you that your able to pursue. For me the friends and the fish and the places are an amazing bonus. The quote by Thoreau could mean something so different for everyone. I remember being interviewed by a news channel on the stream in the 90s and they asked why I fly fished, I kinda got it then that many years ago, yes I love traveling chasing native trout in places like Wyoming and Arizona and sharing the water with so many great friends and landing countless fish. Looking back at that interview and the quote by Thoreau I can see now what I never realized at an early age when I said it helps me deal with things in life just how true that statement was for me. Fly fishing truly for me is about so much more than the fish it’s about my mental health. I remember my Uncle years ago giving me a talk about what surfing did for him in chasing big waves like pipeline and back door and he said then do the thing that gives you that feeling and enjoy it. Fly fishing helps me escape the stress and worries of life, gives me a place I can have a quiet talk with God, helps me deal with the problems of the world, and truly helps me be a better person in life. Yes it’s great to catch fish but it’s so much more, Mental health is something we need to to take more seriously in this country. There is a reason there is projects like Project Healing Waters for veterans, Casting For Recovery for women with breast cancer, and The Mayfly Project for kids. Fly fishing is therapy for so many it’s amazing what time on the water will do for a person. So the next time you say to a person you fish to much realize for them it may be about more than the fish. Find that thing for you that heals your mind body and soul and take time to escape to it.
https://projecthealingwaters.org/
https://castingforrecovery.org
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