2nd Weekly Reflection

Week number two was full of learning and fun for Finn and I. As Finn and I have still not had the best of luck fishing we really improved our fly fishing and tying skills throughout the week. Monday actually kicked off with us starting at Kimpton brook and Finn catching a trout by accident. He thought he has snagged on a log but when he yanked up a fish came right on up out of the water! Unfortunately he didn’t have a net on hand so it became nothing but a fish story since we never snagged a picture. That was one lesson Finn will never forget. But later that day Alfie came along with us and flashed his fancy fly fishing knowledge right in our faces as he caught a fish with little effort at a slow brook near his house. The week was off to a strong start and we were low on flies which meant it was time to learn some fly tying. Hunter taught us the basics of fly tying and showed us this art form that he has perfected over the years. He taught us how to tie pheasant tails, the hunter special, wooly buggers, and nymphs. Besides learning how to tie flies we went outside to the grass with Hunter again and made sure out casting wasn’t the issue for why no fish were biting. Even though we weren’t catching fish learning all about how flies are made and how to properly fly fish was a great experience overall and a lot of fun to learn.There is so much to the sport that it really takes a while to absorb it all. It was great taking what we learn from experts at this sport like hunter and then getting to go out in the field and actually try it. Simply watching the flies we tied ourselves actually attract fish in the water is just so fascinating. It’s much more special then simply throwing a worm and waiting for a bite. It really is an art form, it’s not just about catching the fish, it's about the whole process that goes into actually having the end result of a fish in the net from everything to the fly, to how you present it, to fishing the right eddy, to setting the hook right, to getting the fish in the net. It’s a lot harder than it seems. Although much harder then traditional fishing, the outcome and rewarding feeling of catching a fish or simply getting a bite on a fly you created yourself is something I will never forget and continue to cherish. I think what we learned this week will be the knowledge and tools we need to finally land our first trout next week with a little bit of luck from the fish gods.