Thing I Have Learned From Fly Fishing

Things I Have Learned From Fly Fishing

by Ron Newman

Like hatches, most things in life occur in cycles. If you know the cycles you will be successful
Life is more than a can of worms but is less than a Royal Coachman.

Even beautiful things sometimes have a barbed hook.
Trout have shown me that you can get into trouble by opening your mouth.
Flies do not make very good earrings, particularly if you have never had your ears pierced.
De-barb your fly before trying it on as an earring or catching a fish you intend to release.
Don't judge a fisherman by the size of his rod.
Never criticize anything prepared by the camp cook unless you are willing and able to take over his job.
Don't plan your evening meal around fish that you haven't yet caught.
Those who spit, piss or cast into the wind are usually wet behind the ears.
Often the Big Fish are just a dead weight and it is the middle management fish that will fight hardest.
Swarming and mating in flight is not all that it is cracked up to be.
If you consider the landing of a fish as a 'bonus', then you will always enjoy fishing. If what you are trying isn't working, then try something else.
If you will need something while fly fishing, then don't keep it in your fishing vest.
Removing the barb doesn't decrease your effectiveness.
If you are observant it will improve your success as well as your enjoyment of the sport.
It takes more than expensive equipment to be proficient at what you are doing.
The size of a fish is directly proportional to his intelligence and inversely proportional to his killer instincts.
The joy of flyfishing is lost when you have a beer can in one hand and your rod in the other.
Fly fishers will share their knowledge, flies and gear but never their secret fishing lake.
One good vise is enough for any fly tier.
If you rock the boat or make waves, expect the skittish fish to scatter.
Don't wade into chest deep waters if you are only wearing hip waders.
A bad day of flyfishing is better than a good day at work.
Don't put any foreign materials into the lake except your anchor and your fly.
Unless you enjoy fishing in a crowd don't advertise when the fishing is good.
A wind knot is a casting knot made when there were no witnesses.
The heavy-handed fisherman and his fish are soon parted.
Our trout have marvelous growth rates. They double in size each time the story of their catch is retold.
About 20% of the fishermen catch about 80% of the fish.
What causes stress is different for fish than it is for people but the reactions are often the same.
Large fish establish and protect a territory leaving the smaller fish to school and compete with each other.
The most dangerous time for a fish is when the demand for aquatic food is high and the supply is low.
A good imitation or a good attractor is often just as good a selling point as the real thing.
The boy who learns to fish will become a better man because of it.