I have been fishing since I was old enough to hold a fishing rod.  My earliest memory is being five years old, standing streamside with my dad and little brother.  My dad handed me a bamboo rod with an old Pflueger fly reel.  There was a 15-inch fish on the other end and my dad said “Reel it in Kim!” 

I did.

Not only was the fish hooked, I was too. 

My dad is since gone.  I still have that reel.  I have that memory burned deeply into my being.

Every year, I fish that same water, with my younger-no-longer-little brother, and we remember my dad.

Years later, I took up fly fishing.  Rather, fly fishing took ME.

I have had the privilege to fish and tie in many places in the United States and abroad.  I have made friends along the way.  Some are now with my dad…many remain.

Some of my fly fishing friends around the globe talk about what can be done to breathe new life into fly fishing.  It is steeped in tradition and rich history.  Many of us fish because it was passed on to us by someone.  Many of those people learned it from someone else.  We worry that there is nothing “new” in fly fishing and that it will fade away.

I believe we have to learn to share the language of fly fishing.

No matter where I travel, if the subject of fishing comes up, I am “in”.  It is not about age, or nationality, or gender.  It is about fishing.   It is about our shared passion for standing in a stream or wading the edge of the ocean, or balancing in a boat, and starting the rhythmic action of moving the rod forward and back in the hopes of presenting the fly in such a manner that will cause a connection between us and the fish.

When it comes to fly fishing, we all speak the same language.

Recently I took a cross-country road trip with a friend of mine who is in her 20’s.  We have formed an amazing friendship despite my being twice her age.  On that trip, I learned from her and she from me.  I shared history… talking about using paper maps, life before Facebook and Instagram, my long-time favorite musicians.  She is the future…technologically savvy, fresh thinking, and shared her passions for food and music.

I am history and she is the future.  In our communication, we shared the present.

The same is true of fly fishing.

There is a rich history in fly fishing.   The tools and tackle, although updated as the years go, are much the same as they were many years ago.  There is a respect of nature and a desire to preserve clean water.  There is a respect for others who are sharing our resources.

Fly fishing is a bridge between generations that has stood the test of time.  Those generations before us built fly fishing as we know it and we honor that history by our traditions.

Those bright minds with new ideas, vibrant personalities and energy, with the future in their horizons are the future of fly fishing.  They are the new pioneers who have the vision and capacity to breathe life into our beloved pastime, assuring it will be there well beyond our days.

Together, we can speak the language of fly fishing. We can learn from each other.  We can share our ideas and our lessons.   We can create a space in the world where there is no conflict or prejudice. 

In that space there is fly fishing.

We have a rich history.  Let us work to preserve it.

We have an exciting future.  Let us promote those who can build it.

We have the present.  Take a chance. 

Let’s go fishing!