Well, we’re down to less than 31 days to go, until the 2019 Fly Fishing season kicks off. It’s been a long, and frankly odd, winter, so I’m excited to see the end of the wait drawing near.
Time to really assess the state of the fly boxes, fill in gaps, and check the other gear for wear and tear.
For those that have known me for any length of time, especially in the work environment, you may find it surprising that I actually do NOT have a printed checklist that I use to do this. No, I don’t even have a tracked database of past audit results to drive identification of current needs in this area, or some other automated prep tool. I guess I have essentially partitioned that aspect of my personality off from the Fly Fishing, so I can have this one thing fall well and truly into the category of “relaxation” and let it flow more naturally, like the water around my legs…
Okay…I DO have a Google Drive spreadsheet to track what I need to add or replace, so when I get to a fly shop my brain is not immediately addled by all the “eye candy” on the walls and hooks, resulting in seemingly random purchases. That’s different. That’s organized shopping…not structure imposed upon the times that should be purely free.
This may be why Fly Fishing so thoroughly recharges me from the stresses of work…hmmm.
I think it’s time to also throw in some increased elements of “Random Chance.” I may try tying some really off-the-wall flies, just to see if something happens to spark a response. Of course, even if they completely fail to catch fish, it’s still a fun project. Trying them on the water will also, I am certain, be time well spent. After all, a couple of hours in nature is like medicine for the soul, even if it is not shared with the occasional trout.
Tight lines.