President's Message July 2009: Giving Back
by Rob Burlingame
On a recent trip to one of our fellow clubs, the Austin Fly Fishers, I was privileged to hear a great presentation given by Steve Hall, an education officer with Texas Parks & Wildlife. One of the major parts of his presentation dealt with the stages we go through as fisherman as we go through our journey through the sport. In a simplistic sense, we begin to enjoy fishing in the “Fun” phase. This simply means that we fish for the fun of it. If we catch fish, that’s fun and we keep doing it. As we progress, we move through other phases, like Limiting Out, Trophy, Method, Sportsman and Giving Back. During these stages as a fisherman, we start over as we change methods, such as moving from bait casting to fly fishing. I could not help to think during this presentation about what phase I and others around me might be in. The more I thought about it, we seem to mostly be in some combination of these.
We all continue to fish because it is fun. If it wasn’t, would we keep going? Also, who wouldn’t want to catch a trophy sized trout or a large bull red?!? Of course, at some point, we enjoy the fight and then revive the fish before turning it back to fight another day. But, if you were to place a primary focus on our fishing style, many in our club would fall well into the Giving Back phase. After all, one of the primary reasons for first getting involved in a club like ours or any of the others is to expand our own horizons and knowledge. Once you have been involved for a number of years, you begin to seek out the less experienced members to mentor and share your excitement of the sport, even if it means giving up some of our own limited fishing time.
One great example of this giving back phase is the Lydia Ann Fly Master’s Tournament coming up in Aransas Pass on July 18th. Our club along with the Lighthouse Fly Fishing Company is hosting this tournament for the sole benefit of Casting for Recovery. For updates on the tournament or information on Casting for Recovery, please visit their web sites www.lydiaannflymasters.com and www.castingforrecovery.com. Both the tournament and the organization are entirely dedicated to using one of our favorite sports to give back to a wonderful cause and support a strong group of women on another trying journey. When the idea of this tournament came into fruition, it was apparent how many in our club are in a giving back phase with the overwhelming support that quickly came forward. We have also seen a great backing from many others involved in fly fishing when we searched for sponsors and donors to help with the tournament. Come join us for the tournament to help satisfy your own Giving Back inclinations (and a chance for some great prizes that have been donated!).
Giving back doesn’t have to be trying to raise money for a great cause like Casting for Recovery, though that is one wonderful way! I have spent most of this year trying to share the sport in another way. Both my dad and brother live in San Antonio and have a short history of fly fishing in the Colorado and New Mexico area in the past, but have not seriously fly fished for some time. Of course, after experiencing the adrenaline filled excitement of super skinny water flats fishing, I just had to share it with them! I want to share the latest experience with you that was much more rewarding than I could have imagined.
Appropriately, I invited my dad along with me on Father’s Day for a day trip kayaking the flats sightcasting to redfish. To this point, my dad has yet to hook or land a redfish on a fly rod. Of course, if any of you were fishing on Father’s Day, you will recall the relentless winds that quickly picked up through the day to a whopping 25 mph solid “breeze”. Though this was not a day set aside for ametuers, I decided to push ahead with the plan and try to get him his first red on a fly. The day was filled with casting instructions, fly selection and general instructions on how to entice a bite from these bronze beasts. Remembering how difficult it was to learn the art of flats fly fishing, I focused on patience and “bite size” instruction periods surrounded by some wading and paddling. We saw several large pods of tailing fish and plenty of singles through the wind chopped water. End result was a straightened hook and several hook setting lessons. But more importantly, the amount that was learned by my dad that day will make him that much more effective the next time on the water. I managed to land 4 fish that morning, but sacrificed many casts to singles and pods in an attempt to ensure my dad’s success. Much of the day was spent walking at his side helping to spot fish and give instruction. The best part was I didn’t mind sacrificing my own fishing time to help make his more memorable. The day was sealed with a most rewarding comment, when he said “I can see how people can get addicted to fly fishing for these things!” I can’t wait to hear the excitement in his voice when he finally gets one on the line and brings it to hand. That is what giving back is all about. It’s about taking something that you know and love and sharing it with someone you think would love it too. It’s about sacrificing your own time and resources for the benefit of someone else. And best of all, it feels great and is sometimes even more rewarding to watch them land a big redfish than to land one yourself.
So, next time you are heading out to your favorite fishing hole, bring a friend, kid, spouse or parent with you. It may just be the best fishing trip you have ever had, whether you catch a fish or not!
See you all at the tournament! Tight lines!