Fly Fishing Beginnings

Article originally Featured on Harvesting Nature.

It was one of those rare days that every fisherman dreams about, when the fish seemed to hit as soon as the bait touched the water. Everyone was either fighting a fish, baiting up, or getting out of someone’s way that was fighting a fish. It was a beautiful, crisp, fall day and we were in the heart of the fall steelhead run on Walnut Creek in Erie, Pennsylvania. The place any man, woman, or child that could call themselves a fisherman would want to be.

Thanks Dad!

In honor of Father’s Day this past Sunday I would like to take the time to thank my Dad for introducing me to the great outdoors. He is the main reason I am what I am today, good and bad. I look forward to hunting and fishing season each year not only to attempt to harvest a deer or catch some fish, but to spend time with him in the woods or on the water.

We were together when I harvested my first wild game, a couple of squirrels. He was archery hunting and I had my 20 gauge. He knew I would see a squirrel before he saw a deer but he let me shoot and ruin his hunt anyway, so that I could get a couple squirrels. I got 2 gray and a red that day, the tails are still in my parents’ basement.

“We’re Going Into the Woods”

Cabin fever had got the best of us, she was bouncing off the walls and I was in a “mood”.  The cold weather was taking its toll and I needed a dose of the outdoors to clear my head.  So, we bundled up, loaded up the truck and headed out to the State Game Lands for a hike.

We have done this many times before, since she was about a year old.  I want to get outside, whether it’s scouting for a new place to hunt, wetting my trout line, or just getting my boots dirty.  But I would get a pang of guilt leaving her behind to do my own thing instead of staying at home and playing.  So, I thought why not do both.

Becoming the Complete Outdoorsman

Fly Fishing Edition

I am always trying to find a way to be “more” of an Outdoorsman. Whether that is tying my own flies, building my own fly rod, reading all the latest tips and tricks, or trying something new. When I do this, I sometimes have a tendency to get in too far over my head and end up frustrated.

I tried tying flies for fly fishing, and I went all in. I have a fly tying “suit case” from Fishpond, and it’s completely filled with tying materials, feathers, furs, thread, tools, beads, you name it. I bought starter kits, how-to books, trout fly manuals, and went to fly tying workshops at the local outfitter store. I had visions of these beautifully tied flies, and landing monster trout with my very own flies. But…I was not good at tying flies and I did not have the patience to work at it. So that fly tying suit case is collecting dust in my Hunting Room in the basement. I plan to try again some time in the future, when I’ve developed more patience.