Season Three is almost upon us. When it arrives, on the fourth Saturday of April, it comes with questions. Two years ago I decided that I wanted to take up fly fishing. Actually, I decided many years before, but I didn’t act on it until two years ago. Thus began Season One.
I didn’t have any illusions then; I knew that I was not going to immediately become a successful fly fisherman and that there would be many frustrations and much practise to endure before I would start to show progress, and I set my expectations accordingly. I did my homework and researched various techniques, I watched and re-watched videos that showed proper casting techniques, strategies and other aspects of the sport, and practised casting as much as I could before the season opened.
True to expectations, the first few outings were less than productive, but even though I was sloppy, I was having a ball. Then, very quickly, my luck turned. I started catching fish, and continued to do so throughout the season, quite prolifically. By the end of the season I had caught upwards of 75 – 80 fish, but more importantly I had found an activity, an outlet that calmed me and gave me an opportunity to reflect and reenergize.
When Season Two rolled around I had made preparations to take everything up a notch. I had spent the off season learning how to tie flies, then learning how to tie them better, and had amassed a large collection of good quality ties. I purchased a better rod and reel, and again, I practised casting frequently to stay in form. I was confident that I was going to have an even better season than the year before.
Then everything took a strange turn. The words of my compatriot, Rabbie Burns came to mind, “The best lay’d schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley”. The anglicized version reads “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray”.
Covid 19 shut down the world. This stopped many conservation programs in their tracks. No maintenance in many of the best fishing areas. There were fewer anglers on the rivers, but there also seemed to be fewer fish in the rivers. Without exception, every angler I spoke to was having a dreadful year on the water. Those who caught fish were catching smaller fish, and there were not many who were catching fish at all.
Then my brand new rod broke with less than a full day on the water (more on that later). Hatcheries were shut down, so there weren’t even little “stockers” in the rivers. Everything was shut down, so I couldn’t even enjoy a coffee on the way home after an outing. In short, everything had “ganged agley”
My son called it the ‘Sophomore slump”, something that can happen to a second year player when they don’t perform as well as they did in their rookie year. Whatever it was, it was a little disappointing, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying every moment on the water.
And this brings us to the present, Season Three. I have thrown out all stops to make this season a success. As before, I spent time tying flies throughout the winter and have a large stock prepared. I replaced the broken rod last season with a far superior make, in a different weigh class (6 weight) since I knew I would eventually be getting a replacement for the broken rod (5 weight). On top of that, my warranty replacement took so long to complete (I returned it in July, the new rod arrived in February) that the manufacturer upgraded it to the best trout rod that they make, so now I have two premium rods to choose from. I have also upgraded my reel, a match for my best rod.
I have replaced my fly lines with premium lines, higher quality leaders, done more research into techniques and last but certainly not least, I am always practicing my casting, which is the most important preparation step of all.
I don’t have any excuses, so providing the weather cooperates, this could be a defining season one way or another. Rest assured, however it turns out, I’ll be enjoying every minute of it.
I’ll keep you posted.
Come Fly With Me 