Why fly fishing?

[Quinnphoto]

Sitting here stuck to my computer to do some photo shop work in this dreary looking weather day and began to wonder why do people fly fish. I started a long time ago as a challenge and a way to get away from the world for a few hours. Now I only do my hobbies like photography and fishing. Why do you fly fish?

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[JasonB]

For one thing, I’m a better person in almost all respects after some time in and around water...and preferably not around other people. To me, I feel like I become reminded of so much about life and the world as a whole when I remove a lot of the daily distractions that inundate so much of our time otherwise. True, there are other ways to spend time in the outdoors that also do this, including other kinds of fishing; but for me personally, few of them are as deeply absorbing. Fly fishing both allows, and demands, a certain level of attention to details. It’s a kind of focus and attention that I rarely have for other things in life, and (much like photography) it forces me to see and appreciate things that I might otherwise overlook.

[Fly Guy Dave]

I enjoy the challenge, that there is so much to learn and every time you hit the water you have to figure out "the mystery" of how to catch fish at that time. Very often, once I've figured it out, I stop fishing. It's not a numbers or size thing with me, I just like to solve the mystery, to put all of the accumulated knowledge and experience to the test until I catch a few. A bonus is that trout are often found in beautiful places and then I can revel in the scenery and atmosphere.

[NCL]

For me there are two main reasons, first, the mental challenge of selecting the right fly for the moment along with the right presentation and the other elements that are needed to catch a fish. Second, fly fishing is more like hunting than other forms of fishing.

[John Sv]

I fly fish because my Dad was in to it and introduced it and fly tying to me 40 years ago. Its kinda a part of me. That said i enjoy other types of fishing sometimes more and sometimes less than fly fishing. I like the fly rod when it is the best ‘tool’ for the ‘job’

[Charlie S]

Been doing it for 65 years or so and see no reason to quit.

[jersey]

Takes me away...both to locations with natural beauty and a mind change. The challenge much like hunting, and as stated above, it does take thought. It’s good tonic for the brain.

[Mr T]

Cause its fun, the places I do it are beautiful and it makes me happy. I'm a simple man.

[HSano]

For me, fly fishing and fly tying are closely intertwined. I have been fly fishing for over 45 years and fly tying for over 35 years. What enhances my enjoyment of fly fishing is trying to find "the" fly that the fish can't resist. I'm realistic enough to realize that no one fly will work all of the time. So I keep working on "the" fly that will work on the particular lake or stream that I am planning to fish. Even this goal may seem to be an impossible dream but I find it a great deal of fun trying. Sometimes I develop my own flies from scratch. Most often, however, I am tweaking existing patterns to make them more irresistible. And if and when I do find "the" fly (or something close to it), I can be pretty sure that no one else is using that same pattern.

[Bob Loblaw]

Why does it keep me coming back? because its hard and its impossible to master. It requires a level of focus and concentration that gear fishing does not. When I'm trying to figure a river out, figure the bugs out, choose the right fly, make the right cast and presentation, I'm 100% absorbed in what I'm doing and not thinking about bills, about work, about the crap going in in the world around us. For a day or just a few hours I'm completely lost in something else. Its a mental vacation as much as anything else.

[yubaman]

Same here. It's a mental break from the hustle and bustle of a very busy business. Secondly, I enjoy the beauty of being out in nature. I look around and enjoy my surrounding when I am out in the river. I like to take it in. Lastly, I enjoy the hunt. Like has been said numerous times, the fly selection, the needed near perfect cast and then (hopefully) . . . the take. A lot in common with golf to me, which I also thoroughly enjoy.

I used to kinda look forward to seeing people on the river and getting a chance to talk with them. I still do, but on a fewer occasions. I begin to see a few people, and I'm moving to the next spot that hasn't seen many flies.

Bob

[Larry S]

One of the quotes from the late Robert Traver:
“I fish because I love to. Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly. Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape."
Best to all, stay safe,
Larry S
Sun Diego

[terryphillips]

Good question, it’s cost me a fortune :)

I’ve always had a fascination with it, I think it was the colour of the flies, and when a small boy I could afford a few flies with my pocket money. Then, for me, because it was difficult. With other fishing I caught plenty of fish without much effort where It took me 10-12 trips before I caught my first fish on a fly rod, that made me want to catch my second one and so on. 30+ years later and I’m still trying to catch my next one. Over the years I’ve had different ambitions, initially just to catch that first fish, then to catch more, then to catch lots, then the biggest, then moving into competition fishing to catch more than other people. I think there’s something about human behaviour that people always want more.

[BobK]

Same reasons that I bow hunt. BobK