I’ve been wanting to write something for the main page for quite a while now. Unfortunately I’ve been busy as hell with work so I was unable to make the time. Today, I concluded that I had been working too hard and therefore took the time to write this short, but related article for your reading pleasure.
I have career aspirations, like most people. I have a plan. And so far, it’s working out pretty well. But work often leads to stress and this in turns affects various facets or your life that are not necessarily work related. Sometimes, I am stressed but I’m not sure exactly why. Sometimes, I can’t sleep well. A lot of people will tell you that exercising helps, and it’s true. But it’s not for me. Exercising is just too much work!
This year, I’ve rediscovered an old passion and I would like to share it with you. It’s something that helps me come with stress and that takes my mind away from the day to day stuff. It completely sets me free and fills me with an inner peace that is barely describable. I’m referring to fly fishing.
When I was in high school and living in the boonies, fishing was an activity I really enjoyed. I would go fish multiple times in a week and I knew of a few isolated spots I could go too. I was never an excellent fisherman, nor was I a terrible one. And frankly, it didn’t matter because I was having fun.
When I graduated from high school, I went to university and moved a few times, finally ending up in Moncton NB. Well, fishing pretty much stopped. I didn’t know any spots in the area and I didn’t know anyone who was into it. Fishing was forgotten. For about 10 years…
This summer, I woke up one day and decided I was going fishing. I had been wanting to do something different for quite some time. Something to break the routine and take my mind off the day to day stress that was starting to affect me. I started crafting some flies, which is also something I hadn’t done in years. Making fishing flies and catching a fish with a fly you’ve invented is something special. So after preparing and taking out my old gear, and consulting some maps of the region, I spent a day driving around a 50 mile radius and identified potential fishing locations. The next day, I woke up and headed to a spot I found the day before.
When I got there, I put on my waders, took out my rod (uh! uh! uh! I said rod. Yeah! Yeah! Uh uh uh!), and I headed in the river. It was a sunny day and it was hot, but the cold water up to my waste kept me very comfortable. I had forgotten how slippery the rocks at the bottom were, but I got used to it fairly quick as I descended down the river, casting my line along the way.
Let me tell you something about fly fishing. When you stand there in the water and cast your line out, you’re not thinking about anything. You forget about all your problems. The only thing that matters to you is keeping an eye on that fly and focusing on its movement. And that’s what you do all day long. Sounds boring doesn’t it? You may think that at first but let me tell you then when you hook your first fish and reel him in, you’ll want to repeat that experience. There’s just nothing like it! I can’t describe it. It’s just a unique rush. It’s not a rush like when you’re driving a motorcycle at high speeds or riding a roller coaster. It’s very different and I don’t even know what to compare it to. All I know is that fishing for a few hours enables you to relax like nothing else can.
Since I enjoyed fishing so much this year, I decided I should rediscover other things from my youth. So I went to the store and purchased some camping gear. It had been about 10 years since my wife and I had spent a night in a tent. So we both agreed this could be fun. And it was. That weekend, we just decided to go camping, with no real preparations or fuss. We got to the campgrounds at nine and ten minutes later, the tent was up, the cooler was out and we were enjoying a refreshing drink. I started a fire. We just sat there, look at it, had some beers, and chatted all night. Then we went to sleep, woke up, packed and returned home.
It was a short trip, but a great trip. Nothing complicated. No preparations that drive you nuts. It was just a get away from daily routine and we enjoyed it so much. We’ll be doing this again very soon!
What about you? Why don’t you share what you enjoy doing to forget about all the unimportant things that tend to drag us down in life?
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