The Flyfish Journal - The Flyfish Journal 14.4
ONE FLY, ONE FISH
Words, Photos and Captions: Sean Platt 2023-06-16 10:12:04
Even when we try to pay as much attention as possible, there is still so much we don’t yet know how to see, and that is the best part.
I pulled one fly from above my truck’s rear-view mirror, oversized by choice. The older I get and the more I fish, the less I need to catch them. Lately, it feels selfish to harass them too much. It is far more rewarding to know they are still there and still hungry. Call it hope or something similar, because they are the last of their kind and the odds seem to be continually stacked against them. The subtle nudge, quick slash or rapid dip makes me smile just the same. More often than not, I don’t even set.
The brook was far from secret, though hidden just enough and overshadowed by the adjacent trailhead to be free of anglers, save for three old timers sitting in collapsible chairs by a small bridge. As I worked my way up, a large swirl of foam delivered on its promise and a lithe, 10-inch brookie erupted. I brought her quickly to the net and let her rest. She slipped back into tannic waters, delicate and beautiful.
I clipped the fly off, broke the rod down and wandered upstream. I noted the many lies, the little galaxies contained within these small waters. The little details, the ones that used to be lost in the singular pursuit, are as much what I am searching for as the fishing.
Beyond the act is the reason—to be enraptured by something that is seemingly so small yet exponential. Somewhere in the various slicks and eddies, the clotted lichens and the low rumble, there is the why to the what that we are seeking.
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ONE FLY, ONE FISH
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