June 2007 President's Message: Catching Fish, or Just Fishing?

By: Todd Fleming
Alamo Fly Fishers – President 2007

Sun Rise in South Bay: Dan Dockery in South Bay.Are you catching fish, or just fishing? Every kid who has ever held a rod and reel clearly knows the difference. Catching fish is that tangible reward we get for meaningful time spent on the water. Every fisherman in history has balanced some degree of patience and practice, with fish catching success. I would venture to guess that none of us would still be fishing today, if we had never caught that first fish – no matter how much patience we have. And, I bet the first fish we ever caught was not caught on a fly rod. I personally began fishing as a young kid with a cane pole, and a container of earth worms sitting on the shady bank of a lazy summer river. I loved seeing the action of a bobber being pulled under water, and the feeling of a hooked fish trying to swim free. It is a feeling that has never grown old.

All fishermen go through a natural progression of fishing goals. We all start fishing just hoping to catch a single fish. Any fish will do – neither size nor species is important. Success is the key factor here. Sometimes almost instant gratification is required if we are short on patience. But after catching that first fish, something changes. We figure out that catching fish is fun. Have you ever met anyone who stopped fishing after catching that first fish? Instead, we naturally want to catch LOTS of fish! Size and species still isn’t an issue. Satisfaction is now measured in numbers of fish.

After bragging about catching large numbers of fish, something changes again. All of a sudden size does matter. We suddenly stop thinking about quantity, and focus our attention on quality. Now our quest is to catch BIG fish. Our fishing experience has taught us some understanding, and increased our patience to be successful. We now find satisfaction with fewer fish - if they are quality fish. We may even start to target certain species of fish, and familiarize ourselves with current fishing records just in case a new record might find it’s way on to our hook.

After catching that first fish, and then lots of fish, and finally achieving success at catching big fish, our progression of fishing challenges next examines the tackle we are using. Does this sound familiar? We probably started our fishing career using natural bait – dead, fresh dead, or even live bait. When we switched to artificial lures, our fishing goals cycled again - catch that first fish, then catch lots of fish, and then big fish. After achieving success with artificial baits, the next challenge came in the form of using lighter fishing tackle thought to be more sporting. At first it was lighter lines, and then the idea of using a fly rod was the newest challenge.

Even with a fly rod, we start out trying to catch that first fish all over again. In the past few years I have worked through many fly fishing achievements. But, I can tell you, it did not happen overnight. I started as a total fly fishing rookie with some passed down fly fishing gear. I was frustrated and intimidated at first. Everything was so different – so much to learn. I didn’t know where to begin – knots, lines, flies, equipment, casting? I wondered if I would I ever catch fish again? Catching fish seemed impossible at times. And, the more I learned, the more I knew there was a lot more to know.

Fly fishing is like learning a new language. It takes time and practice, and practice, and more practice. When I started fly fishing, my previous fishing success dropped off the chart. In the beginning, the cold water fishery of the Guadalupe River was more technical than I could comprehend on my own. My first white bass season was nearly a disaster. And I had no clue when someone suggested I try sight casting to shallow water red drum on the coast. In my early years of fly fishing, I wasn’t catching any fish at all. But after a while, it started to click. I started to understand a little more each time I went out. Lucky for me, I had plenty of patience and determination, because my moments of success were brief and far between. Occasionally I saw a glimmer of hope and success, and I never gave up. I kept going back to the water to learn another lesson, and finally was able to speak the language. The thrill of fly fishing success is an adrenaline high that must be experienced to be fully appreciated. There are few things more exciting than achieving success with a fly rod. I believe the amount of reward is directly related to the level of challenge. Fly fishing is an immensely challenging and rewarding experience. There are enough challenges within this sport that I know I’ll be fly fishing for the rest of my life.

Where are you on the fly fishing ladder of challenges? Are you catching fish with ease, or still having difficulty with that first fish? If you are new to the sport, and trying to make sense of it all, don’t give up. I can speak from experience. If you will stick with it, and get involved, it will happen. You will be fluent before you know it. I urge everyone to get out on the water as often as possible. There is no substitute for real fishing experience. Be sure to ask for help if you need it. We have many veteran mentors who will be able to guide you to fly fishing success. Be careful though, because fly fishing success is addicting. It is an adrenaline high for which there is no substitute. And then, in the end, after achieving fly fishing success, you will find that catching fish is not nearly as important as it was in the beginning. In the beginning you need to prove success to yourself, and to others. But once that is done, you can stop being mad at the fish, and look around. Fly fishing lets you do that, and it lets you appreciate the beauty in nature. Oh, I still love the challenge of the hunt, and I live for my next bent rod and stretched line, but my biggest reward is releasing what’s been captured, to live and fight another day.