Mills, I used to be a fanatic on all of those things - the Latin names, the specialized equipment, total immersion into all the technica of fly-fishing.
These days I enjoy myself more by knowing what to bring astream and how to use it. Gone are most of the streamside implementia that I used to think were the necessities of the true fly-fisher - the specialized clothing, all the stuff hanging from my vest, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Now you'll find me in a set of lightweight stockingfoot waders, wading shoes, a T-shirt, vest with the bare essentials, a flybox with only the flies I will need for the stream I'm on at a particular time of day and season, my rod & reel, a ball cap and magnifyers so I can tie on a tippet or fly in poor light.
But paring down to these bare essentials is the result of decades of real-life experience on the stream..... there's no substitute for that!
|