Fly Fishing is a Lot Like Writing

I've been doing a good amount of fly fishing this summer.  It's a good way for me to get out of the house and think about things, both writing-wise and life-wise.  This past year hasn't been a piece of cake so I'm doing more searching than I've done in the past.  And that's not a bad thing, mind you.  A little soul searching is good for a fella.  But we won't get into that right now.

What I've found while wandering the stream is that fly fishing is a lot like writing.  You have to be patient.  You have to be still.  You have to present the fly in a precise way.  You have to read the water correctly to know where the prize might be hiding.  And there are tight spots with overhead trees and snags in the river - danger lurks everywhere for a guy whipping 20 feet of line over his head.  And if you do all that, you have to have a fish that is willing to come up and take your fly.  You can do it all correctly.  You can do it all just as Mike taught you.  And the damn fish won't take the fly.

See what I mean?  Fly fishing is a lot like writing.