By Larry Forte
Driving to work this week, I was listening to a new episode of the podcast 2 Guys and a River. I wrote about them last year; they do a fun, weekly fly fishing podcast. Basically, it’s about 2 guys, in their mid–50’s, talking about fly fishing. They don’t take themselves too seriously and they don’t have all of the answers. It is an enjoyable podcast to listen to. This week’s episode was about setting fly fishing goals for the New Year. I found it interesting because they broke Goal Setting into four-(4), different segments. They are:
- Adventures – where would you like to fish in 2019
- Experiences – who would you like to fish with during 2019
- Skills – what techniques or skills do you want to improve upon or learn in 2019
- Gear – what new Fly-fishing “toys” do you want in 2019
Thinking about it I thought it would be fun to put together my list based on these categories (plus, I didn’t have a topic for this month’s “Last Cast” Column!) So, here are my list for 2019.
Adventures – As I get older, where I fish becomes more important. I guess that is because I have maybe 15-20 years of good fishing left and my “Bucket List” of places still to fish far exceeds that number. In 2019, the top of my list is the Shenanodah National Park (SNP). I have been enjoying Jerry’s articles and I need to make this a priority this year. I plan on fishing the SNP in May with my college buddies. In addition, I am adding Canada, which I missed last year because of work, Sanibel Island, Florida and Pulaski, New York with Dan Neuland, our Club Outings Chairperson to my 2019 list. If I can make all 4 destinations in 2019, I will be a very Happy Camper!
Experiences– The top of this list is to fly-fish with my daughters. They have grown into becoming amazing young ladies. Growing up, they loved soccer, lacrosse and basketball, but were not fans of fly-fishing. They do come to our annual Banquet, which is cool. Recently they have expressed an interest in fishing with their dad so I must make this a priority! I am looking forward to sharing the Stream with them in 2019. Also, I want to spend time fishing with PHW participants. I hope to do this so several times in 2019.
Skills – This one is pretty easy. I recently acquired a Tenkara rod and I got this for a couple of reasons. Primarily, it was to try something new with fly fishing. I have been fly fishing for about 15 years and trying a new aspect of the sport is exciting. I tried it once last Fall and it was a blast. Plus, I want to hike more and get in to better shape this year. The beauty of a Tenkara rod is that it’s a great rod to pack when you go hiking – just in case you come upon a small Brook Trout stream!
Gear –Who doesn’t want more Fly-fishing gear! Out of necessity, new waders and wading boots are at the top of the list but that’s not very exciting. I need to add a 4WT Glass fly rod as well. Let’s also add to that a new Fly Tying Vise while we’re at it.
If I can reach most of my 2019 goals, this will be a pretty fun year! One thing is for certain, it has to be better than last year with all of the rain that fell in 2018!
You should try it and make a list of Goals for 2019. If nothing else, it lets you think about Fly-fishing when the opportunities for actually fishing are pretty limited.
In closing, if there is anything you would like to see improved with our Club or if you are interested in getting more involved with the PVFF, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Larry Forte
Club President