by John Murphy Jr

Created on: January 18, 2008

Family and friends often ask me, "Why do you fish?" I usually end up smiling wisely when this question surfaces because the answer is multifaceted. My Grandfather is the culprit who introduced me to fishing and I defer all credit and claims to him for my silly demeanor when fishing season begins. He was an itinerant sinker bouncer who used to catch pails of fish on Long Island's south shore bays and sneered at lures or anything remotely deviating from a good Chester-town hook with a "number 2" sinker rigged together. This adoring grandson, however, took this fishing passion to the fresh water lakes north of New York City to attempt to slaughter the denizens therein.

Freshwater fishing is distinctly different from sinker bouncing since the apprentice lake fisherman needs to have a little bit of the hunter in him or her to augment the fishing instinct. This is particularly true with fly-fishing on freshwater, although our salt-water colleagues also must hunt their prey when fly-fishing.

My lovely wife introduced me to the finer side of fishing when she presented me with a novice's fly-fishing set. I was ecstatic! I lovingly examined the flies and feathers and little bass poppers. I was enormously intrigued by the fly lines and tapers that are so foreign from cord and/or mono-filament line. The tackle shop sales man was especially helpful when he gave me some basic fly rod lessons in the parking lot. Like golf, fly-fishing contains a skillful technique. One does not bully their way to the goal by swinging a fly rod with all their might intending to throw the fly line across several counties! Such activity creates an incomprehensible tangle of line in the reel and rod that will require spending the rest of your free time unraveling the mess. Real fly people understand momentum, timing, and position to smoothly shoot out many yards of fly line.

I can still hear the mantra beating a cadence every time I throw a cast: "10 o'clock-2 o'clock; 10 o'clock-2 o'clock; 10 o'clock-2 o'clock!" This is the position of your arm and the fly rod that you must discipline yourself to practice when successfully shooting fly line. Describing this action does not describe adequately illustrate what you must instinctively feel when throwing line. You must practice and practice to feel the fly rod work properly.

All enthusiastic with my new skill, this newly minted fly fisherman hit the lakeside to slaughter the little buggers residing under the water. "10 o'clock-2 o'clock!" And the line

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