I am thankful for fly fishing.

I am thankful for the quiet. My job is busy and my home is busy. I wouldn’t trade either of them for the world. But my time on the water offers some much needed contrast. This doesn’t mean that fly fishing is passive. The mental exercises often eclipse the physicality. Still, there is stillness. The moment immediately after releasing a fish  is cathartic. The moment immediately before it rises to the fly is even better.

I am thankful for the challenge. Sometimes I succeed. Often times I fail. I think that the frequent baptisms in humility are the most valuable experiences. The subjectivity of fly fishing can actually prove those failures successful. Trying to catch a trout is a low-risk training ground for my resolve, preparing me to potentially see more pertinent challenges in a new light. Fly fishing is practice, in a way.

I am thankful for the community. Even though I live in a metropolitan area, my day-to-day is relatively homogenized. As soon as I move into the fly fishing space, there is an incredible amount of diversity. Backgrounds, beliefs, and bobber opinions are wide ranging. Whether you chase billfish or bluegill, there is  unity because of fly fishing. The people I meet – the people who I consider my friends – comprise a unique community.

I am thankful for the knowledge. Fly fishing is the vehicle wherein I can pass on any number of things. Time on the water means I can share fishing. But time on the water also means I can share other experiences. Looking at fly line floating in the current cuts through pretense and awkwardness like few other things. I can talk about mending, naturally. Just as naturally, I can talk about life. Whether it be my children, my friends, or relative strangers, fishing is a remarkable point of contact.

I am thankful for the grandeur. I can do a lot of things. I am reasonably intelligent and moderately capable. Still, I am nothing compared to the raging flows of a river. The tide is bigger than me. A mountainside won’t yield to my education or cleverness. All I can do it take it in. All I can do is be a part of it. All I can do is be thankful to the God who created all of it.

I am thankful for the blessings of fly fishing.

All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, And Your godly ones shall bless You.
Psalm 145:10

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Happy Thanksgiving from Casting Across.

Here is a similar article from 2016.