Paul Schullery wrote, in his book Royal Coachman, The Lore and Legends of Fly Fishing the following....
Fly fishing is this great little adventure we have in a thousand little episodes. Fly fishing is our chance to embrace the unmanufactured, to earn something honestly, and to give ourselves over entirely and passionately to a pursuit that is in some mystifying way both irrelevant and important. Fly fishing drives us nuts and keeps us sane. And, like any other addiction...any other so-called pastime that can take you soul away - given the chance, fly fishing becomes something very much like a way of life.
Do those words stir you? They did me the first time I read them and in fact I felt compelled to share that quote with my wife. Famous fly fishing authors like Norman Maclean, Roderick Haig Brown, David James Duncan and others saw or felt something in this endeavor called fly fishing that inspired them, made them write about what they feel out on the river. I seriously doubt that much inspiration can be had when baiting up a 5/0 hook with a tennis ball size glob of salmon eggs don't you?
Fly fishing is sometimes likened to golf but I like what Paul O'Neill once wrote
I am not against golf, since I cannot but suspect it keeps armies of the unworthy from discovering trout
Pretty well sums it up for me. So is it really any small wonder why Arnold Gingrich titled his classic fly fishing book "The Joys of Trout"
I really wish that I were a better writer and could perhaps paint with a more scenic prosaic style as to what it is that I'm talking about here. Alas I'm limited to what you see here, punctuation and syntax errors thrown in with the deal. I admire those that can express themselves so well and am inspired by it while, at the same time I'm intimidated by it as well.
So I thought I would share a light and thoughtful repose before going into another one of my conservation scolding.....cheers
