Fishing as Connection with the Present and Past

Fishing is a powerful point of connection - connection with the landscape as you read the river, connection with all living creatures in honoring the lifecycle of the fish, connection with your fishing buddies in the early mornings and the hot sun, and connection with your past. Everyone in this drift boat on a Saturday in July was part of that blessed community that was taken outside at an early age, by a family member - in our cases, father, grandfather, or uncle - who instilled in them (in us) a love and respect for our natural world, and the importance of keeping chocolate in the boat.

We take people we love fishing because it is an important part of who we are and where we come from. For some of us, it is a way to be with important people who it is often hard to connect with because of our busy and distracted lives. For others, it is maintaining a connection with memories of loved ones who have passed and building a lasting relationship with the next generation of outdoors people. 

Whatever the activity, when you’re outside, practicing skills that connect you with your environment, we are able to see more clearly the connections between us as humans. I’m so grateful to David Perry and Victoria Cumbow for inviting me to tag along on their fishing trip. And a special thank you to David for guiding us down the Elk, for teaching me to cast a fly rod, and for somehow convincing 6 (very small) trout that they wanted to be on my line.

Seems like I might have a new forever hobby!