It's Official - I'm Giving It Up

[fly addict]

It's Official - I'm Giving It Up
Over the last few years I've noticed a twinge of unhappiness every time I laced up the wading boots or tugged on a double haul or tied a blood knot. It's been a slow progression from what was once a glad obsession that filled me to overjoyed to what is now just kind of a bother. So, with this short personal history of my involvement in the piscatorial arts and what led me to this point, I am announcing that I'm giving up fly fishing.

To explain a little further - I started fly fishing around age 10, quickly jumped in with both feet, and really haven't known anything else since. I made it my chief pursuit from the time I've had a driver's license and haven't looked back. More recently I toiled making the rounds on the tournament circuit, nearly full time for a couple of years. I have guided thousands of clients over the last 14 or so seasons into probably tens of thousands of trout. I've been published, made TV appearances, and met Roland Martin. At this point it has just run its course and it's time to try new things. Sure, it's had its good times. I've made lots of great friends with whom I have shared some great times on the water and off. I've caught memorable fish in some of the most beautiful places on earth and have had my share of skunked days that used to leave me wanting more. I'm have witnessed fishing buddies pull off some amazing feats of fly casting and other fishing wizardry. I have seen nature do its thing right in front of me.

I'm satisfied.

So I've been thinking a lot about what I might try next. I know it may seem silly to some but I think I'm going to take up pottery making. It's a somewhat lost and noble art. Our earliest ancestors turned themselves from hunter-gatherers into civilized artisans with impressive cultures largely on the back of their pottery making skills. The capability to carry water in a pot was the precursor to the great aqueducts that allowed for the expansion of some of Earth's great societies. Anyway, I think making pots will be fun and will get me back to the earth through the clay. And I want to try to make hand-made novelty coffee mugs with witty sayings, that just seems fun.

So with that said, I must say farewell to the fishies. It's been fun but it's time for you to join with Willy and swim free, if you're ocean-dwelling or anadromous that is. For me - no more late night fly tying parties with Doritos and Diet Coke and no more stories of the one that got away. No more aerial mends or long double spey casts to elusive steelhead. No more matching the hatch or tying the perfect bug for the situation. No more early mornings trying to catch Trico falls or late nights chucking furry mice. No more rivers and no more streams.

Ah, who am I kidding? I can't give it up - the river is in my DNA. Happy fly fishing to all and enjoy your April 1!

I saw this today and thought I should post it!

Mark

[hpskiff]

You got me

[briansII]

Sad, but true. I feel the same way.

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3494&hilit=I%27m+done

briansII

[strohble]

Pottery!!?? Good one!!!

[Flyjunkie]

I feel Your Pain, I know I'll stop this flyfishing obsession in the future, about 20 Minutes after i spread my energy back into the stars....

[flybob]

You would miss the LOVE!

[1mocast]

For a second there, I thought you were starting a Mary Jane Dispensary...

[WanderingBlues]

And here I was thinking I'd suggest you try being a * star......

[Artin]

Dude.... you had me for a bit there! Really....
Got suckered and then I said wait a min... he has 1005 posts already, hes beyond fishermens' anonymous...

Nice one!

Artin

[fflutterffly]

isn't this the same thing you sent last year? Yeah you're giving up like I'm going to grow a *! Oh yeah that was Brian who gave up fly fishing and you can see how he managed that one!

[beachbum]

Yep, you got me. I found myself shaking my head and wondering if you have entered your "mid-life crisis" stage. Funny!

[thtsarumr]

You should have kept it going at least until I saw you tomorrow in order to allow me to kick you in the nuts!

With our trip to NorCal next month you would have deserved it. I love you man but don't scare me like that again. Just the thought of a whole week by myself with just Eric and his irritable bowls almost had me in tears.

J/K Eric

[Rockstar Fisherman]

Well with the tomorrow's potluck in mind it was hard for me to take this seriously

[StevenOjai]

Whew....
I thought you were going to go back to power bait and worms.
Looking forward to those pot pictures you'll be sure to post.

[Rockstar Fisherman]

Whew....
I thought you were going to go back to power bait and worms.

I did briefly think that, cuz I knew there was no way Mark was going to give up "fishing".