This fall I’ve taken some of my own advice. For years I’ve been encouraging those who read or listen to Casting Across to diversify their outdoor experience. It isn’t that I assume everyone who fly fishes only goes fly fishing. I just know that there have been times in my life when I’ve been primarily focused on getting out on the river, fly rod in hand, seeking to catch a trout. Actually, that might be a generous assessment. There are times when I was exclusively focused on catching trout. Whether it was stage of life, circumstances, or some other conflation of variables is neither here nor there. That is the way it was. It wasn’t bad, but looking back it was imbalanced.

Then along comes duck hunting.

Don’t get me wrong: Casting Across isn’t shifting away from fly fishing. I can’t even imagine that there is going to be a glut of waterfowl content any time in the near future. But sitting on a stump before first light just staring at the water and the sky is good for me and for my fly fishing. And it isn’t that duck hunting is any better than my hiking, camping, or paddling. The stillness forces me to think. The short season, hunted in pre-dawn spurts, gets me outside for a little bit on a regular basis. The lack of doing a lot lets me do a lot of observing.

For example, when I’m waiting for birds my eyes are up. When I’m  fishing my eyes are down. Even if I’m looking towards the horizon, the orientation of my gaze reflects where my quarry will be. While that forced perspective is appropriate for seeking out targets, it creates a bit of tunnel vision. Case in point: trout will utilize all kinds of cover. Trees don’t have to be a few feet off the surface of the water to provide that sense of security (or steady stream of terrestrials) that fish look for. While the surrounding areas are usually included when we “scan the water,” it is good to remember to add up. Also, although it isn’t directly tied to putting fish or birds in the bag, you see more  when you look around. That experience, after all, is part of what we’re really looking for.

Perhaps most notably, being outdoors fills me up. I’m outside. I’m problem solving while relaxing. Not to reduce it to something so trivial, but I’m checking a box. It is a good, important, and fulfilling box. Hunting and hiking are outdoor activities that do a lot of the same things for me that fly fishing does. That means that I’m getting that fulfillment. It also means that when I put on my waders and step into the river I’m not pressing. It doesn’t feel like now is my only chance to do something. I know that I’m not cool enough to cast well or shoot well when I feel like I have to get it done now or never. So I just get outside.

Fly fishing and duck hunting, like many outdoor activities, are characterized by tranquility punctuated with activity. The skillsets required do take some honing. But getting that special serenity is what bears the whole enterprise. And ultimately, a fly rod or a shotgun are just the conduits.