Making Memories and Catching Fish

A lot of good can come from introducing folks to the outdoors.  Take Jake (pictured below) for example.  He's a young man that I recently got to help (with my buddy Mark and Jake's dad) introduce him to fly fishing a few weeks back.  On top of being extremely intelligent and respectful, he is tenacious when it comes to learning something new.  In about a month, he has caught his first fish on a fly rod, started tying flies, and caught his first fish on a fly that he tied.  The joy, excitement, and enthusiasm is contagious and renews my passion.  Way to go Jake and I hope you are walking down a path that never ends!

Now meet Kaitlyn.  She is the daughter of one of my good friends.  The smile on this little girl's face shows not only her excitement but her pride in catching her first crappie.  Fishing, in large part, is about creating memories.  It is safe to say that her and her father have a photograph and memory that will last a lifetime.  Way to go Kaitlyn and you're a good dad Matt!

I've also been lucky enough to meet some passionate fishermen over the course of my lifetime and Corey is one of those memorable ones.  He contacted me to discuss carp fishing and less than a week later we wound up in the same boat together with big smiles on our faces.  His fanaticism and interest in fly fishing is something that I can easily relate to and that has lead to our friendship.  To have a friend, I think you must have things in common with the other person and what better commonality than fly fishing.

So what's the point you might wonder?  My point is this: don't ever be afraid to try something new when it comes to fishing.  I catch myself getting stuck in a routine or sticking to old habits but breaking out of those can be an eye opening experience.  Sharing memories, introducing others to our sport, and making new friends are some of the bycatches of our sport.  Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone in order to refresh yourself.  You'll probably find that you do the same for others as well and that just be the meaning of life.  In my humble opinion, we were not put on this earth in order to improve our lives, but instead, make a positive impact on the lives of others!  Have a great day and I hope you are able to help put a smile on someone else's face soon...and maybe even while he/she is holding a fish.