You’ve thought about taking up fly fishing for years. You can’t put a finger on why, but the thought of doing so envelops your heart — more so than the thought of taking up any other pursuit. Maybe it’s because of its rugged, yet sublime and romantic allure. Maybe it’s because you’ve heard, more often than you can ignore, that fly fishing penetrates your soul on a level that ignites your spirit in a way you never thought possible. Maybe you’ve finally decided that this is the year; you just need that final push. So, the essential question you’re truly asking is: why should I take up fly fishing?

You should take up fly fishing because, aside from matters of faith, it may just be the best thing you can do for your heart, soul, person and mind. When it comes to the pursuit of a new and fulfilling hobby or sporting endeavor, fly fishing exists in a uniquely special realm that only those who consistently engage in it truly get to experience.    

So, here are 10 compelling reasons you should take up fly fishing.

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1. For The Peace And Quiet

Committed fly fishing anglers will nod emphatically when they read the following paragraph.

Whether fly fishing a small mountain brook, an array of beaver ponds, a meandering meadow-bound stream, a breeze-ruffled lake, or a cascading valley river, there comes to the fly fisher a level of peace and quiet that nothing else seems to equal. 

This ethereal state comes whether surrounded by the quieter sounds of nature — the song of a meadowlark, the buzz of a grasshopper, the screech of a distant eagle — or by the enveloping roar of a tumbling freestone river. For the fly fisher, these noises aren’t an intrusion; instead, they are an enhancement. That’s because this uncommon peace, this exquisite quiet, anchors in the deeper recesses of their being where the individual aspects of the entire experience blend into one rather tasty stew. 

Somehow, as the angler’s attention zeros in on rig setup, fly selection, reading the water, studying insect behavior, observing the natural surroundings, making good casts, and creating the perfect drift, the clanging stresses of the world, so recently top-of mind and all too vexing, fade to black. Whether a successful day or one that drew just a few strikes, at the end of it, the fly fishing soul will have found rest. 

If that’s what your aching soul craves, taking up fly fishing may just be the balm it’s looking for.

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2. For The Thrill Of It

Is fly fishing soothing? Of course. 

Peaceful? You got it. 

Soul-settling? Absolutely! 

Boring? Not on your life! 

When I asked him if he’d ever gone fly fishing, I once had an old associate of mine respond, “Yeah, I tried it once. It was as boring as watching paint dry.”  

Expecting the answer I received, my incredulous response went something like, “That’s interesting. Did you catch anything?”

“No,” He said.

I don’t remember the rest of the conversation, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t try real hard to convince him to give it another shot. He was kind of a putz anyway.

Now, I wouldn’t presume to equate the excitement of catching a fish on an imitation fly with things like skydiving, racing Indy cars or swimming with sharks. However, for those of us who prefer adventurous endeavors that don’t come with the label “uninsurable,” there is nothing quite as thrilling as making a perfect cast right to the top of an inviting run, then seeing a big trout thrash at it from the depths. 

And that’s just the start of it. 

When said big trout — now rather ticked off at the situation — decides to flee hard upstream; breaches the surface in a violent yet poetic tail dance; decides it would then be funny to dart back between your legs, then breaks your rig off before you even knew what hit you, you might decide that fly fishing is quite a bit more exciting than drying paint.     

3. For Getting Back To Nature

I saw a bumper sticker today. It said, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” 

I have a client who often asks me if I’ve been fishing lately. Whenever I answer that I haven’t, he says, “You know… You only get so many days on this spinning ball!” 

No doubt about it, we’re made to enjoy the natural creation a lot more than we usually do. Our habitat has become the office, the car, emails, meetings, computers and phone calls. And even if we appreciate and feel blessed by such a life, that kind of environment never really soothes our souls as does spending time in nature.

As a fly fisherman, I’ve found myself in some of the most breathtaking natural environments you can imagine. From pristine high-mountain lakes to gorgeous wide-open meadows; from prehistoric forests to majestic river-cut valleys, and so much more, when there, with rod in hand, I’ve never once walked away wishing I’d been at the office. 

4. For The Travel And Exploration

When it comes to exploring new places to cast a fly, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. This planet offers so many different places to fly fish, that the possibilities are nearly endless. 

Want to go to the mountains? Bring your fly rod. Aching to hit a beach? Bring your fly rod. Traveling to Canada? Europe? Asia? Russia? South America? Israel? Yep, even the Holy Land… bring your fly rod.

In fact, if you have the means and can carve out the time, most fly shops, outfitters and many major brands offer incredible fly fishing vacations to places near and, of course, more distant and exotic. I can assure you, several have made their way to the top of my bucket list.  We’re only here for so many days, remember? 

5. For The Exercise

I don’t think fishing and exercise find their way into the same sentence very often. In many minds, fishing conjures images of people lolling away the afternoon on the banks of a quiet pond or lazy river with fishin’ pole and can o’ worms. Depending upon the kind of fly fishing you might be doing, it can be just as inactive, however, in most cases, fly fishing involves quite a bit of really good exercise. 

Curious about how many calories I burn during a typical day fishing one of my favorite mountain rivers, I often run the exercise app on my Apple Watch’s “open goal” setting for the day, only pausing it when we’re driving (or floating) to the next run or stopping for lunch. Considering all the walking, hiking, bending, squatting, reaching, wading and current-fighting in which I engage, it’s not surprising that the calories burned count usually exceeds 2,000. Additionally, after a few workout-concluding 12-ounce curls, I hit the pillow totally exhausted. 

Combine a peaceful heart with a spent body, and sleep comes easy and deep.

6. For The Learning

In a previous post, I explored nine fascinating things to learn about fly fishing. In doing so, I realized, in much greater detail, just how many rewarding and seemingly endless avenues of learning await those who decide to take up the sport. 

So, if you’re feeling like you need a new and captivating area of study, but don’t have the stomach for another seminar, classroom or textbook, try applying to Fly Fishing U. Aside from your willingness to ditch your hesitancy and step into something out of your comfort zone, there’s no other entrance exam!

7. For The Spiritual Refreshment

Whenever I’m fly fishing, I’m never never more than a pause, a deep breath and a brief gaze at my surroundings from seeing God’s awe-inspiring handiwork. 

It might be the beauty of a river flowing constantly and mightily between its color-splashed banks that gets me. It could be the incredible complexity and precision of the many intertwined and interdependent ecosystems of which I become surprisingly aware. Sometimes I’m moved by the sheer power and majesty I see in the surrounding cliffs, peaks, clouds, sun, and sky. 

And, if that wasn’t enough to get my soul’s attention, I am always amazed by the intricate physical composition and decorative design I see in a common trout — rainbow, brown, brook, cutthroat, or otherwise. That, in itself, may command its own post someday soon.

To put a fine point on it, I rarely feel quite as close to my Creator, quite as moved in my center, quite as spiritually refreshed, as I do when I’m knee-deep in a mountain river, rod in hand, casting a fly.

To some, it might be considered sacrilege to marry something as terrestrial as fly fishing with being face-to-face with the God. I guess, to me, it’s sacrilege not to.    

8. For The Challenge

Speaking of the Creator… I think, coded into the essence of who we are as humans is the enjoyment of challenge. In other words, humans are made to seek out, take on, and work our way through things that stretch our abilities and prove, even if, most importantly to ourselves, that we are up to it. 

It stands to reason, then, that I also think the avoidance of challenge, though all too prevalent in our entitlement-hamstrung culture, is one of the main things that prohibits each of us from achieving incredible things. 

I hear you. The idea of taking up fly fishing may not rise to the level of other challenges we may want to chase: becoming a doctor, starting a mission, writing a book, joining the Marines, or answering the call of some other lofty pursuit. But when it comes to trying something new and difficult, taking the first step is usually the hardest part.

I can assure you, becoming a good fly fisher is not going to be a walk in the park. Like any new and unfamiliar endeavor, it can appear a daunting hill to climb. There is an overwhelming amount of things to learn, and to learn how to do, many of which don’t come naturally. That said, I can also assure you that if you take up the sport with the commitment level reserved for things worthwhile — that you don’t quit when immediate success doesn’t come —  you will be glad you took on this rewarding challenge.

9. For The Camaraderie

Ranked by order of importance, I think we all have at least two tiers of memories (probably many more). I reserve Tier One for the most important things in my life, like: parents and family, graduations, educational or vocational achievements, lasting friendships, meeting and marrying my wife, my kids’ births, losing my father at a young age… stuff like that. 

Tier Two consists of less monumental memories, but ones that, while much less important, still occupy a special place in my heart. This list is made up of things like: first friends, youthful experiences, high-school sports championships, family pets, and cool vacations. Some of my best fly fishing memories reside on this tier. And although there are many about either the big ones that got away or the other ones I actually netted, the more meaningful and memorable ones are those that spring from the camaraderie of fly fishing. It’s the memory of…

That certain day when the river was absolutely on fire with feeding trout…

The morning more than one of us took an unplanned drink…

That evening when we floated by one of our buddies who, just to try to free his son’s snagged rig, had climbed a little too far out on a precariously brittle limb…

That afternoon when we played jokes on one of our group members who had unwittingly dozed off in our midst…

That night when we laughed ourselves silly telling the same jokes and stories we’d all heard a hundred times before… 

And millions more just like these. 

If it’s nothing else, fly fishing is a fabulous memory generator and, as such, is also one of the best camaraderie builders you’ll ever find. 

10. For The Fun Of It

Despite the lofty podium to which we are often guilty of elevating it, fly fishing is just a whole lot of dang fun. It’s fun to plan. It’s fun to anticipate. It’s fun to do. It’s fun to work on. It’s fun to remember. And it’s even fun to write about. I can only think of a couple other things in life that are that much fun! 

So, with that, and all of the other great reasons we’ve offered above in mind, what’s holding you back from taking up fly fishing?  How many days do you have left to catch fish on this planet? If you start fly fishing tomorrow, certainly one fewer.