On the Fly: ‘Why so serious?’

Every December I make a stack of resolutions. Do I follow through on most of them into the New Year? Nope. This year is going to be different, I swear. My plan is to stop and smell the roses more. Easy, right? It seems that when I’m out fishing here in the Valley, I’m always in a sweat. In a sweat to catch more fish than that angler on the other side of the river. In a sweat to be the first boat off the ramp. Always hurrying, looking toward that next fish, next bend in the river, and at the end of the day I’ve managed to stare at a fly, drift boat line or indicator all day instead of absorbing the beauty of the Valley.

My plan this time around is to laugh more, grind less. Shoot more pictures than fly lines. Look up, not down all day. The fish will still be here tomorrow, I don’t have to catch them all today. This year, the camera gets packed before the rods. I’m going to focus on epic shore lunches and enjoying my friends versus beating the hell out of every fish I can find.

This is the year of flipping over river rocks in the search for what fly to tie on. Sitting and thinking instead of frantically re-rigging. Maybe I’ll even buy those tiny dries instead of tying them myself; that will save me on the frustration factor. I’ll be the guy on the side of the river reading a book and waiting for the hatch. The guy who goes fishing at noon, not daybreak. I hope to see you on the water this year, I’ll be the guy laughing at the ouzels, with my fly rod leaning against a tree.

This column is provided by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374.