Why flyfish? What makes casting a fly so special? Millions of people in the U.S. have tried flyfishing, so what is the allure and what makes this storied approach to the river and fish so captivating?
Flyfishing captures a tradition that began centuries ago and far outdates our modern team sports like football, basketball, or baseball.
Dame Julianna Berners and Charles Cotton in England wrote of flies and techniques that were practiced on chalksteams as early as the 1500s. As I stood by the rivers Test and Itchen years ago, I was transported by time machine to those humble beginnings.
Not to be outdone by our mother country, in the U.S., bamboo rods were originally crafted in the 1840s and Orvis produced the first modern fly reel in 1874. Fly gear accompanied General Crook as he fished Rosebud Creek in Wyoming just before the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. I took my fly rod in a duffel bag to both Persian Gulf wars, just like Jack Hemingway did as he parachuted into France during World War II.
While flyfishing solitude is welcomed, it also forms a shared community. Our family encompasses three generations of fishing on the fly, with the youngest starting at 3 years old. There is a recent picture at our home with me, son Geoff and grandsons Wyatt and Sawyer all dressed in fly garb as we fished in the Iowa Driftless region.
Flyfishers have banded together to form clubs and organizations like Trout Unlimited and Fly Fishers International (former FFF) since 1959. Not only do these groups promote fishing and casting skills, but they are fully committed to conservation efforts to improve habitat and healthy fish populations. Want to increase your skill level or find the best places to fish? Just join up for gratis lessons and instruction.
Much like there is a need to heal troubled waters, flyfishing provides a bridge to heal wounded souls. Locally, Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) serves disabled veterans from all branches of service to teach fly tying, rod building, and on-the-water skills.
With shared experiences and a unique comradery, a safe environment provides needed shelter from life’s hurtful storms. You can meet and greet these selfless servants at a local farmer’s market booth in the summer. Former Marine Paul Wilson Is the program leader for the Four Corners area. Hailing from Pagosa Springs, he has volunteered for PHW for over 10 years. What is PHW secret salve?
“Two things,” Wilson said. “Comradery is important because our military members have a shared background and experience. It also connects our members to the natural world and its beauty. All of that is healing.”
Traveling to new places is a prerequisite to answering why. Under the guise of flyfishing, you can travel around the globe. As Dr. Seuss says, “Oh, the places you’ll go!” Or, as I say, “Have fly rod, will travel.”
I’ve been privileged to fish in 25 different states and 12 foreign countries. On most of my journeys, I have never met either people or fish that I didn’t like. Just think of your built-in excuse, ‘I’ve never been to Europe.’ The Army stationed me in Germany for five years, which was like throwing me into the briar patch.
On first landing at the Munich airport, I purchased Fliegenfischen magazine where I could learn to speak to the natives and gain a toehold on European traditions. Spin a globe and touch your finger down, and you’ll find a place to flyfish. Heck, if you are like me, you’ll start a bucket list of destinations for big fish and exciting times.
Meet new people and make friends; over half my phone’s contact list is made up of flyfishing friends who are like-minded or fishing-cursed, and I’m not always sure between the two. A river runs through these friendships and relationships. This ‘why’ really fits the slogan of make new friends and influence people.
Facing the challenge to fool and catch fish is one of the reasons why people flyfish. Just imagine trying to catch a three or four pound rainbow on a size number 20 fly. How about a 100-pound tarpon on a 10 weight rod?
Selecting the right fly to match-the-hatch is a critical part of the game. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve offered, “Here. Try one of my flies.” Or counter, “You wouldn’t happen to have another one of that killer pattern for me to use, would you?” There is hardly any greater satisfaction than having a big fish (or even a small one, for that matter) rise to the surface and eat your offering that you tied yourself. Full circle.
Go figure. Where are the fish? What are they eating? What rod, line, and fly should I use? You get the picture. Flyfishing is calming while you soak in your surroundings, it demands playing head games to solve the fishing puzzle of the day.
AI adds that flyfishing is widely considered a deeply fun and rewarding sport because it blends active nature immersion, challenging skill development (casting, reading water), mental focus (mindfulness), and a unique connection to the ecosystem, offering an addictive mix of problem-solving, artistry, and the thrill of tricking a wild fish in beautiful settings, making the experience itself the primary reward, not just the catch.
It is like being a kid again because it is all about playing in the water. You get to soak up rays and work on your tan as you live in the outdoors.
So, have I convinced you to try flyfishing or to get more involved? If you are not waving the magic wand, you are missing out. After his first day of flyfishing, Victor Snover, the former mayor of Aztec and JROTC instructor, remarked, “It was just fun catching my first fish with a fly and experiencing the outdoors.” Hooked, that’s why.
Our rivers are filled with why. -Bear
