Day 79 of 365

Flies

Since as far back as I can remember I have loved fishing. My maternal grandparents were amazing fishermen and I loved spending that time with them. I was fortunate to grow up with a pond in my back yard and property with a channel that led to the lake. For a girl who loved fishing it was perfection.

In the summer I spent a lot of time digging for worms. I didn't have fancy poles and my father was always patient when I'd turn my reel into a tangled mess of line. I really really love to go fishing.

Tonight I learned how to tie my own flies for fly fishing. I knew this was one thing I absolutely had to do during this 365 day experience. I have always wanted to do this ever since I opened the tin box that my father kept his flies in. I don't remember going fly fishing with any of my family. I'm not sure why.

My first thought when putting this adventure together, was to get a kit and watch some videos. I went online to do my research and what I found was a ton of ideas but the materials were outrageously expensive. With the recent closing of Gander Mountain I was forced to visit the Bass Pro shop to look for ideas. I guess this was the universe sending me in the right direction because they offer free classes every Thursday night from 6-8pm.

Today we did a very basic fly but depending on the hair color I chose my creation would attract a variety of little and potentially big fish. I didn't learn much about flies as we snipped and wrapped our tiny parts to the hook. It really is a very involved experience and the materials that can be used are endless.

The odds are that I will lose this creation when I use it. There's something really soulful about creating these flies when you may only ever fish one time with them.

By the end of the class I'd completed two pieces and I was very happy with the results. The instructor did a great job of introducing me to this new skill and it was actually very relaxing.

Day 79 was another long awaited experience that I'm so happy to have accomplished.

Love & Light

I planted my #365rockdays rock. I hope it didn't cause a stir.