Fly fishing teaches the angler. Over my tenure I have learned so much about angling, people, fish, the environment, business, and life.

Life lessons. Whether its through sports or being raised through childhood we are always learning lessons that can be applied to lives we choose to live.

Best word to describe life…tumultuous. I rely on lessons from fly fishing in most things in life. Mostly because my life is mostly filled with fishing. There are always consequences for actions and decisions. As in fishing so to in life. Sometimes you are rewarded other times knocked down and humbled.

Personally I am being humbled. I am searching to be humbled in angling. I am relying on those things I have learned and developed in angling to get me through and so far it has been positive.

Patience has been the utmost lesson and learned skill from angling. There are times it can bring you to amazing moments in angling. Other times it can lead to a missed opportunity, a close encounter, or no encounters at all. Patience doesn’t always win the day and some days it can be the negative factor. Too much time, not enough time, its all about time and how it is managed. A skill that needs improvement in my off river life.

Determination, angling has taught me to seek out and learn the necessary skills to reach goals. Angling has taught me how to have passion and drive for something. Transfering that passion and drive to things outside of fishing is always an ongoing process but one that improves over time.

Failure. I have learned to meet failure head on in my life before fishing and that has helped me become a better angler. Failure is one of the more important teachers. Fish and life do not always give you another shot, or sometimes it gives you a few, failing is part of growing as an angler and a person. Owning ones failures, moving past them, and learning from them are lessons that are paramount in all things.

Reflection. Taking the time to reflect, be more observant of the world around and within are key in developing as an angler and as a person. When things are bad or good reflecting on the how and the why and critically thinking are necessary for growth.

As the new year comes in and the trout season gets closer everyday; taking the time to look back is important. To move forward both on and off river revisiting the lessons learned is how I prep for what is next.

See ya riverside anglers

Tamarack