5 Steps for Getting the MOST out of Fly Fishing

What is fly fishing to you?

To some people it is a hobby, a pastime, a once annual thing, a way to connect with old friends or family members. To some it is a way of life, something that they cannot get enough of. To some, even, it is a way to obtain social recognition. 

None of these are wrong, they are just different. 

Today's episode of the Fly Fish University Podcast is not technical or analytical. It does not cover fishing strategies, gear tips or entomology. It is simply about how to maximize your fly fishing experience!

To many, fly fishing becomes a meditative practice, a way of entering fully into the moment and allowing the stressors of regular life to wash downstream. Fly fishing even has the ability to completely transform someone's life. I've seen people maintain sobriety that they were never capable of prior, simply because they had something to constantly keep them grounded. 

The 5 steps covered in today's episode are as follows:

1. Be totally okay with exactly where you are in your fly fishing journey - Don't scroll through social media and feel pressure that you should know more or be further ahead. If you're a beginner in the sport, own the fact that you're a beginner and embrace the excitement that you have so much to learn!
2. Use fly fishing as a vehicle to the present moment - We are naturally wired to constantly attempt to predict the future to maintain a level of certainty. This can be a blessing, but oftentimes our thoughts drift to future worst-case scenarios if we let our thinking get away from us. How present can you become on the water? Take a moment on your next outing just to appreciate all that is around you, and allow yourself to enter completely into the moment.
3. Detach yourself from any and all outcomes - In our social media age, it is easy to develop a sense of pressure to have "content" to post at the end of the day. But what if we let that go? What if fly fishing was more about the process and less about the end result? Especially in challenging fisheries, letting go of the need to produce a tangible result will always make your time spent on the water more enjoyable. 
4. Cultivate and maintain a student mentality - Nobody ever has, and nobody ever will, reach a point in which they completely figure out the sport of fly fishing. Read books, listen to podcasts (hint), take courses, and surround yourself with anglers that are like-minded. Remain curious, remain open, allow yourself to constantly maintain a student mentality that is eager to learn.
5. Understand there is no end goal - You can't win fly fishing. It is great to have goals and benchmarks, but don't obsess over them. Allow yourself to enjoy fly fishing to its maximum capacity, and the sport will forever maintain a sense of magic for you!

Enjoy today's episode of the Fly Fish University Podcast below!