By Galen Kipar
I’ve guided many people whose number one priority is to catch fish, and lots of them. Some people want big ones and don’t care if it’s only one trophy all day. Others don’t care what size they are as long as they catch 25 or more. Either way, their head is down all day, intently focused on the fish. One common denominator is, those days go by quickly, like a busy day at work where you look at the clock and realize quitting time has passed. I’ve also guided the person whose first words upon stepping into the boat are “I don’t care about catching fish, I’m just happy to be out here.” Yet they showed up with $2000 worth of fly fishing gear and traveled 600 miles over 24 hours. I once had a guy on the boat that said he went on 4 different trips targeting Permit. Each time he got skunked whether it was due to poor conditions or missed opportunities. When he finally did get his permit, he figured it took him $15,000 and 12 days on the water. He had no regrets and said he enjoyed every minute. So why would someone go to such great lengths to do something the hard way. Is it the process?
Fifty years ago, if someone went fishing his intent was primarily to stockpile the freezer. If everyone did that today, we wouldn’t have any fish left in the rivers or oceans. So today, many of us follow catch and release or some sort of regulations that support the conservation of fish species. Still, the majority of people go fishing to catch and harvest fish. Perhaps our culture has changed so much that things like fly fishing and handcrafted furniture are becoming a novelty. There’s an easier and faster way to get it done. So at that point, it becomes about the process and the quality of the experience.
Fly fishing is not “all about the fish”, it’s about the connections, hooking up, the pull, the tension and release. It’s about the connection to the people you meet, the places it takes you, the process you have to go through to get there, and the comfort in knowing the formula for happiness once you do.
Galen Kipar is a guide and owner at Asheville Fly Fishing Company. He is a problem solver who enjoys the connections and process just as much as the pull. Reservations: (828) 779-9008 Information: AshevilleFlyFishingCo.com.
