On a recent fall fishing trip, we waded into a river from which I have learned so much over the years. It was a glorious, surreal morning. Mist lifted from the river as the sun rose over the vast pine tree forest. A moose trotted by us as the bugle of a bull elk made for background noise. All while the anticipation and excitement for a full day of fishing released with the first cast. By 7:15 a.m., the day was a success.
This morning on the river made me think about how relative success is in fly fishing and how many factors could make for a successful day on the water. Asking yourself what makes a successful day is a gratifying yet motivating question that I believe will make your days fishing a little more purposeful.
The fun in this question is how different the answer is for each one of us. Maybe it is catching a trout over twenty inches, catching a trout on a fly you tied, or exploring a new section of water. There are so many ways to define success in your fishing trips. It’s all awesome and part of what makes this hobby so consuming.
Success is also relative to what stage you are in your fishing journey. To a novice angler, success may be landing as many trout as possible. To a seasoned angler who just had his or her first child, just getting out is enough to call the day a success.
However you define success on the water, it is important to be open to how this changes over your fly fishing journey. Embrace the factors you consider a successful day on any given trip. Be grateful for the angler you are today and what you define as a successful day on the water. These factors will inevitably shift as the years go along and success will look different than it once did.
If a successful day on the water today means catching the biggest fish possible, go all in on do not feel shame because of it. There will be a time when you haven’t fished in three months and just catching a fish is a success.
Whatever success looks like to you on that given day, embrace it. Fish according to it. Make sure it’s of your making and not based on the judgment or opinions of others. Be careful when comparing your days on the water with other anglers, as you may have completely different ideas of a successful day. And lastly, do not shame or look down on other anglers’ measures of success when fishing. We all have the right to enjoy and experience this sport the way we want.
As a recent graduate who is confused in life and learning about who I am, I ask myself what a successful life looks like to me. It makes me wonder if this article is about fly fishing at all. Maybe it’s just easier to answer through a fishing lens, and the morning on the river was a sign that I was living true to my successful life.
What does a successful day of fishing look like to you?
