It's supposed to be fun . . .

Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide,
Catch & Release, Fly Fishing Only!

This man has a fishing problem.

It's Supposed to be fun . . .

 Leave it to the human race to screw things up! And this includes all of us. Our modern lives are often too busy and too stressed to get away for the break we need to recharge our souls with some light on the water, some fresh air and solitude, a tug on the line. It is like smoke under the door; You get busy with life, career, family concerns, bills, obligations, property, etc., and pretty soon it just swallows you up. You are married to the clock and the plow. Fishing becomes the distant, dim light that you hope to see one day, out there on the dark horizon, as you trudge down the next furrow. We are bombarded daily with all kinds of images and communications, advertising, etc. Everyone is selling something. And if we really want to keep up with the world, and the news, it becomes a nearly full-time job. And so our lives become heavily informed with a barrage of information, and a lot of it is not very good or positive. Almost none of it is really going to help you go fishing. One thing that stands out is that it all amounts to a kind of noise of background chatter in our minds. Our society has become obsessed with being informed, being with the trend, and having the next new best thing. Even if what we have already is good enough. And we only might go fishing again, someday. But it gets harder to do as you dig yourself ever deeper into the maze of complexity. Frankly, I am worried about you.

Could you take this kind of pressure?

  I have to ask myself if what I already have is good enough? Have you ever found yourself in that place of contemplation? I look back on all kinds of ambition I have had over my life, and all of the adventures and hopes and aspirations I have experienced, the success and failures, and all of the things that I have held as important to have, to gain, to strive for. What have I ever gained or acquired, especially materially, that has made my own life so much better? And all that I can come up with is the relationships and experiences, and the lessons that I have learned from- This is what has been worth keeping. It seems like it cost me a lot of years of my life to get to that point of understanding. There have been many times in my life when I wanted more. But the truth is that I now know that I had more than enough. And to think that I could have been fishing . . . Materially, compared to many others,(well, except for most of the guides whom I know), I do not have much. But I do not miss much either. Somewhere along the line I decided to simplify my life as much as possible. Not that having some nice things, enough money, a decent place to live etc., is bad or wrong at all. I might even do that myself one day. . .  But most of us, including me, already have more than we need. And most of us do not appreciate it. There is an awful amount of waste. Think of all of the good fishing times you could have had, instead of working for, buying, wearing out, and eventually throwing away all of that cheap plastic crap! See, It's all about the fishing . . .

What more do you need?

 And speaking of "crap" . . . Is anyone else amazed at all of the stuff we can buy to go fly fishing with now? When I got into this game there were a handful of decent lines out there, most commonly the simple double taper fly line. There were just a few nice rods, most of them cane and fiberglass, and a space-age new one or two called "carbon graphite". It was a really big deal if you could afford a pair of Ranger canvas and rubber waders, even if you did have to grind off the lug soles and glue on the new felt bottoms yourself. Most of the flies you could find were tied by hand in America, often in the shop where you bought them. And there were just a few really nice reels, and a few decent working class reels. Even though some of the best tackle was very expensive, there was still something for everyone. and enough for everybody. And honestly, in most places back then, there were a lot more fish to be caught, even if all that you had was a Shakespeare Wonder Rod and a Pfleuger reel. Even closer to home. And we caught them. It was cheaper, and simpler. Today there is more stuff than ever, most of it cheap, imported plastic crap with a big price sticker. And there are more fisherman- rods, reels, lines, doo-dads etc.- than there are fish now in some places too. Just saying . . .

Free Psychotherapy.

 Don't waste your time on guilt. Or the internet, or the magazines etc. Really! So what if the yard is not mown, the roof is not patched, the garden is not weeded? It is not going to be the end of the world if you let those things go for a few hours or a day or two. All of that pressure and stress that you are carrying around in your head is creating friction. And before you know it your mind will be on fire! I'm only trying to help you here. Seriously, you just need to go fishing for a little while. It is much cheaper than doctors, hospitals, psychotherapy, strokes, heart attacks, ulcers, medication, penile enlargement surgery or chronic alcoholism. And more fun too. Someday you will thank me for saying this to you!

The Doctor Is In!

 Things around here are going pretty well this summer. The salmon are on the run, from Neah Bay to Puget Sound, the run is really on.  Coho and Pink Salmon are being caught just about everywhere right now. And our sea run Coastal Cutthroat trout are still showing up in all of the usual places, (and some other places that I won't mention here). The rivers are at their typical summer low flows now, not the best opportunity, though there are still a few nice little spots for small trout, and even summer steelhead, if we play at it a little. But I still feel that your best bet will be to get out to the beaches and work the tides. Autumn and the rains will be here soon enough.

Andy Heeds The Call.

Please, leave the stress behind for a day; Change your plans, Call the boss and tell him that you are too "well" to be working under these conditions, lie unashamedly to your wife, abandon your responsibilities, deny your guilt . . . and embrace your inner fishiness! This takes a little getting used to, I know. I have paid my dues. I had to spend two very shaming years in the fifth grade while, as a bona fide Truant, I worked out the riddles of a nearby large mouth bass pond. In later years this tendency to heed the sirens, those inner voices of fishing, had a similar limiting effect on my relationship to material society; Like I said, I don't have much, but I'm happy. Right now, while you are sitting there reading this, I am likely headed out the door for an early evening tide, to swing some flies, ones that I tied myself, on some nearby salmon beaches that I like to fish around here. I didn't mow the lawn today. Drop me a note if you would like to come fishing. It would be really good for you. I'll be praying for you . . .

Kill your cell phone and come fishing!

 Now booking summer fly fishing trips on the Olympic Peninsula waters. Catch & Release, Fly Fishing only. Celebrating over 33 years of fly fishing adventures. Please call or write for booking details. Beginners welcome. Full instruction provided.

Bob Triggs
Little Stone Flyfisher
P.O. Box 261
Port Townsend, WA
98368

Telephone: 360-385-9618 / toll free: 866-793-3595

 Email: littlestoneflyfisher

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