Fly fishing is just that. You have to pay attention or you will miss any bite. You have to focus on each cast so that your line is not thrown into the wrong part of the river, or gets caught on surrounding branches. Then, each cast draws some attention — always ready for the snitch’s pull — until you reach the end of the line, your fly stops floating, and you cast again.
It’s repetitive, and it demands undivided attention. I find it very soothing. If you let your mind wander to, say, what you had for dinner that night, that email you forgot to send, or what you’re going to be doing with your kids this summer, your cords might get tangled and you lose sight of your flies In the water, otherwise you will miss out on catching fish if you are being towed. There is no room for distraction.
I like massages. I love yoga. I like walking in the woods. All of these are efforts to relax, but when I do anything to relax myself, I inevitably notice that my mind starts to wander at some point. Sometimes it’s just for a moment, but more often it lasts a few minutes at a time, until I force myself to stop thinking and try again to shut down my buzzing brain. Fly fishing, on the other hand, takes up all my brain space—no room for anything else. It’s simple and looping, but never boring. There’s nothing to be nervous about – catch or miss. Nature doesn’t care, and neither do I. Husband is on vacation in Wyoming. This is one of those activities that we know nothing about, but we saw it on the list of things to do at the ranch we live in and thought we might as well give it a go – at least, we could take in the beautiful scenery and do our best 大江大河 repeat. We both love it, and for the first time since we had our son a few years ago, I’m truly free of stress and anxiety. I was hooked (pun intended).
