Thanksgiving and Fly Fishing

It dawned on me as I was thinking about all that I have to be Thankful for that much of it has to do and revolves around fly fishing.  I certainly do not mean to be irreverent or drippy it is just a fact.

When I first started fly fishing my intent was to find a hobby that would get me outdoors and help me to meet some new people.  It was not so much "fly fishing" that drew me in at first, I wasn't sure I would ever actually master casting, it was the wading I loved.  I just loved being in the middle of a stream, feeling, hearing, seeing the water from in the water.  To me it was such a spectacular feeling like I was more a part of nature then ever before.  I was able to see sights on the banks, in the woods, and in the air from an angle that I just never knew about.

It was truly a whole new  world opening up to me.  The truth is that in order to enjoy that world and not feel very silly just standing there I had to try to learn to fish.  The good news is that it is a continuous process. I never anticipated how my life would evolve due to fly fishing.  I still get the biggest kick out of wading although I must confess that I have noticed a big difference in my agility in the last two years. Once last year while I was helping as a "gillie" at the Youth Conservation Camp two young girls literally reached out to help me wade into the Yellow Breeches.  I felt like the little old lady boy scouts have been known to help cross the street.  But I'm so Thankful that I have the opportunity to be involved with such a wonderful group of people and to spend a few days with teens that share our interest that a little bit of the reality of aging is more then worth it.  Thanks to fly fishing I look forward to those few days in June when I have the chance to help a teen feel the thrill of good casting and hopefully catch a nice trout.  It is comforting to know that these kids are as passionate about learning not just casting and tying but also stream improvement and conservation.  It is also nice to know that they are willing to offer a helping hand to little old ladies trying to cross a stream.

Thanks to fly fishing I have become involved in some conservation issues.  We may not always win but at least we are giving people something to think about.  Growth and change are necessary but at what price?  I worry about the future but I am so Thankful for what we have now.  I'm Thankful for the people that work so hard to keep the streams, the air, the land clean and open not just for the present but for the future.  I'm Thankful for the great fly fishers and conservationists of the past who have helped us to get to where we are today.

And of course I am Thankful for the people.  From my very first encounter with a fly fisher (that would be Mary Kuss) to the many folks I met for the first time at The International Fly Tyers’ Symposium this past weekend, I have been blessed to get to know many very good, interesting, and just plain wonderful people through fly fishing.  It truly is an extended family.  It is so nice to run into someone you met on a stream and you just fall into talking and laughing like old friends should.  Now most of you know I really do have a whole new family due to fly fishing and for them I am Thankful each and every minute of the day.

If you should find yourself in the Cumberland Valley please give us a call.  We would love to meet up with you and share some time on the stream. Share a laugh, hopefully catch a fish and be Thankful for the time we can spend together.

--Eileen Baltz--