I’m often asked how I’d categorize fly fishing. Is it a sport? Tradition? A game? A hobby?
That’s a loaded question, and I’ll give you my answer (which I’ve landed on after years of careful deliberation on the water whilst waving a stick) in a bit.
But for grins, let’s tackle a few…
Sport. Hmmm. Having been a competitive athlete in my youth, I have a hard time with that one. Anything that you can do as you smoke a cigar (not that I do, but I’ve seen others, wink wink) is difficult for me to call a “sport.” For the record, I used to think about golf that way, but if you look at what Nike has done, and more importantly, what super-fit golfers like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have done to change the perception of golf, I’ve re-evaluated.
Still, I remember once sitting through a presentation by a major sunglasses company where they introduced what you might now call their “ambassadors” or “influencers” as their “athletes.” I snickered so hard the lemonade I was drinking ran up my nose, and the other outdoor writers I was with also guffawed out loud. And please, don’t equate any “world record” fish to an athletic world record like those Katie Ledecky earned in the pool or Bob Beamon’s amazing long jump that stood for over 22 years. The big wahoo you landed on light tackle might be impressive and that certainly involves skill, but c’mon… apples and oranges.
On the other hand, in the context of “fair chase” and being “sporting” fly fishing certainly qualifies, perhaps as much or more than any other outdoor pursuit. So, sure, I think fly fishing is pretty sporty.
A tradition? Of course. But the beauty of fly fishing is that it’s constantly evolving and moving forward, and anyone can jump right in and take part. It’s healthy to study and respect the history but not so much if you get stuck in the past.
A game? Well, I guess so, in a way, as I have always considered fly-fishing to be about puzzle solving. How am I going to get that fish to eat this fly? So much goes into that, from the cast to the fly you choose, to how you present it, and how well you fight a fish to the net, you can certainly call it a game in the context of challenge. But fish are living creatures, and I believe they are owed more respect than checkers or chess pieces on a board.
Hobby works, in that it’s something 99.99 percent of us do merely for fun. As a distraction from the worries of work and other things, I think fly-fishing definitely fits the bill.
I’ll tell you a few other apropos words.
Fly fishing is community. The more you fish, the more you realize that it’s as much about the kindred spirits with whom you share—and hopefully protect—the waters with as it is about the fish themselves.
Fly fishing offers healing and/or escape for those who take time to understand what they’re really fishing for.
Fly fishing is a literal connection with nature. It’s an art for those who tie flies and master the cast. It’s a science for those who learn about bugs and fish and all the other things that comprise an aquatic ecosystem.
You can add your own descriptive words as well, I’m sure, because at the end of the day, fly fishing is whatever you choose for it to be, and that’s the true beauty of the __________.
So, call it what you will, and that’s perfectly fine.