It’s the 5th of July. I’m here to declare another kind of independence. You, my fly fishing friend, are invited to secede right along with me.

Maybe you don’t feel like you’re living under an unbearable burden. Perhaps there are no angling shackles upon your casting arm. But if there is even the slightest chance that you need to get behind this pronouncement, stand up and salute:

It’s just fishing.

That means you can cover yourself in every newfangled gadget, cast a rod that cost four-figures, and target native trout with refined palates.

Or, you can catch bluegill.

You can ensure that you’re up to date on all the industry comings and goings, stay abreast of any angling animosities or controversies, and stay vigilantly on the right side of hashtag history.

Or, you can fish in flip flops.

Fly fishing can be intense, hardcore, technical, competitive, and serious.

Or, you can  just walk to the subdivision retention pond after work.

Your time on social media can be spent humble-bragging, posting passive-aggressively, or starting sentences with “Well, actually…”

Or, you can just share (and listen to) fishing stories.

It matters. It is important. But it’s just fishing. So relax. You can be independent. You can rebel against the oppressive regime of the less savory aspects of the culture. You can stand, waders rolled down to your waist with an Altoid tin of poppers in your hand, and proclaim: “give me sunfish or give me death.”

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Happy 4th of July from Casting Across.