A Lifelong Pursuit
On a recent fishing trip, I caught the biggest brown trout that I’ve caught in my young fishing journey. A brown that I measured 24 inches long. The catch left me fist-bumping and shaking there on the river bank. This was a moment I had been looking forward to for many years. Now that it has come and gone, I can’t help but think, “Is that it?”.
It reminded me of an idea we see so often throughout our lives. The belief is that an external circumstance or life event will bring us the happiness and fulfillment we desire. Once achieving the goal, we eventually revert to our baseline happiness and strive for another goal. The goalpost never stops moving. It is known as the hedonic treadmill. We see it so often with money, power, and material items. We tell ourselves if I could make this much money, buy that house, or have a six-pack of abs, then I will be happy.
For many years, I put a 24-inch brown trout on a pedestal. After moving to Montana in 2018 to attend Montana State University (commonly known as Trout U), a big brown trout was my goal. This was amplified by friends and fellow students posting and talking about the huge trout they caught the prior weekend. As an 18-year-old, the two-foot mark seemed to be the barrier between where I was and the talented angler I desired to be known as. If I could catch a two-foot brown trout, then I would be enough. Or so I thought.
Now 23 years old and much more aware of my emotions, I’ve learned that this idea was false. While still young and inexperienced, I know much more about myself and the reasons I fish. This goal to catch a two-foot brown trout faded as I got lost in everything else I enjoy in fly fishing.
This last weekend I got lucky and I stumbled into the fish that I chased for so many years. Don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful surprise and a catch that left me smiling throughout the workweek. However, I couldn’t help but wonder why I dreamed of this fish for so many years. It felt much closer to another trout than it did the catch of a lifetime I expected it to feel like.
I share this experience because I believe it is something all of us young anglers are going through these days. With fly fishing media portraying anglers catching big fish every time they go out, it is hard not to compare and yearn for a big fish ourselves.
How have I learned to alleviate myself of this pressure and the treadmill? I shifted my mindset to view fly fishing as a lifelong pursuit, an infinite game.
No single piece of gear, trip, or fish will be the final destination in fly fishing. All of it goes into creating a fishing life you are proud of. Some experiences will mean more than others, but there will always be more to learn, trips to take, and fish to catch. It is a journey full of trip planning, fly tying, fish catching, and meeting people who share the same passion. There is no destination, and you will never “win” in this sport.
Catching a two-foot brown trout would never bring that fulfillment, happiness, and satisfaction I was longing for. Putting a moment like this on a pedestal only set me up for failure and disappointment. For so many years I thought it would be an enlightening experience. A moment that would bring along the happiness and fulfillment I sought after in my fishing. I realized even before landing this fish that this was not the case. It came full circle when it finally happened.
I’ve learned to be grateful for moments like this and understand they are just a small fraction of the lifelong journey of fly fishing. To fish for the fun of fishing, not to achieve a list of goals I set for myself. Thinking this way puts each trip into perspective, and is humbling each day on the water. Only when I realized there was no goalpost, I could shift my perspective and live my fullest fishing life.
Like many of you, fishing is a lifestyle. Something I view in the same spectrum as my career, relationships, and health. Like these other areas of life, the road to an unfulfilling journey is to attach your happiness to a goals list and believe completing it will be the answer. Rather enjoying the journey is the answer. Understanding that the fun is in the challenge, and the ultimate challenge is enjoying it for a lifetime.
Thanks and stay curious,
Nick
6 thoughts on “A Lifelong Pursuit”
Really well said.
Thanks Matt! I appreciate you taking the time to give it a read!
Nick, great read and Brown trout. You will for sure catch more studs and studettes. With the
bugs you’ve been tying up, its almost guaranteed. I’m looking forward to more great articles
like this.
Thanks Dan! I am excited for another fishy season trying some new bugs out. Thanks for the read!
I think you are journeying along the fishing continuum. When I first started I was in a rush to the river, rush to get my waders on, rush to rig my rod, rush to the river and I counted numbers of fish. Then, I wanted big fish and “measured” and talked about length and weight, then, I had to catch them a certain way only – dries or streamers. Over time I have become more “zen’ and fish more in the moment; I do count fish but only to three and I do prefer to only fish dry flies if the conditions allow but will pickup a euro rod in the mornings.
That is awesome how it has changed for you over the years. I’m interested to hear how it continues to change for you as you learn more. Thanks for following along and reading the article Gregg!
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