[Interview starts at 32:54]
I’ve been asked to touch more on the spirituality of fly fishing in my podcasts, and honestly I’m not very good at that. So I asked a thoughtful friend and author, Dylan Tomine, to touch on these aspects of the sport. I don’t think we got very spiritual, but we do ramble on about the other aspects of fly fishing we enjoy besides catching fish, casting, and tying flies. It’s mostly about the people.
In the Fly Box, I had some great questions, including:
- I am going backpacking and want to travel light but fish some streamers in the middle of the day. What should I take for lines?
- Will my 6-weight Helios rod be too heavy for fishing Slough Creek in Yellowstone National Park?
- How do you decide when to give up when fishing a small stream?
- For fishing from the banks of small ponds, will my 6-weight Pro line be okay, or should I try a Bank Shot line for roll casting?
- Can I use straight, level fluorocarbon for a leader for lake trout and smallmouth bass?
- My polarized sunglasses don’t work well for spotting trout. Are all polarized sunglasses equal in terms of seeing fish?
- What line should I use on my 9-foot, 8-weight Encounter rod when fishing 10 to 15 feet of water?
- What do you do when switching from nymph fishing to fishing a hatch?
- What about furled leaders?
- I keep losing large rainbow trout when they jump. I am indicator nymphing. Am I doing something wrong?
Tom:
I hear your struggle in talking about spirituality. I think that too often, people get hooked on the “religious” aspects of spirituality and are maybe even afraid to talk about spirituality. Though spirituality can be religious, it can also be quite broader.
Christina Puchalski, MD, Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, contends that “spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.”
In the broader concept of spirituality, it is a focus on where one finds meaning, how one feels connected, and how one should live. I have found that as one focuses on meaningful connection with something bigger (such as nature or art, etc.), the result often is positive emotions such as peace, awe, contentment, gratitude, and acceptance.
I find that fly fishing helps me to live in the moment and to be aware of my connectedness to the world that surrounds me. This is in some way life-giving. Being in the water seems to wash away my worries and leaves me with an abiding sense of well-being. Being on the river is a place for me to surrender my ego and become grounded and centered once again.
One of the things we all need is community. At the same time we all need solitude. I need community where walls are broken down and there is a safe place to be broken and hurt. I also need periods of solitude where I can listen to my heart, get in touch with my role in creation, and renew my spirit. Being on the water helps me to keep these two needs in balance. Flyfishing is one place where I can nurture solitude. On the water I can release all the emotional stuff and live fully present in the moment—find my spiritual center.
Thanks for giving a few moments of you time to hear my somewhat “random” thoughts and my experience. I don’t know if they will help you, but I maybe they will point you in a good direction.
Thanks for all you do.
Paul Robertson
Houston, TX