For many fly fishers, myself included, there is an unmistakeable connection to nature that keeps us coming back. This can be true regardless of whether or not we catch fish. That connection is strongest for me whenI’m standing in a river. Water creates a connection to nature, flowing water, even more so.
The Tao can be roughly thought of as the flow of the Universe, or as some essence or pattern behind the natural world that keeps the Universe balanced and ordered.
Cane, Eulalio Paul (2002). Harmony: Radical Taoism Gently Applied
The feeling I get, or “state of mind” might be a better description, of standing in a river is one of total relaxation and total concentration. The flow of the water facilitates that state of being-ness. The feeling is still there in a drift boat, but not as much. One of my favorite places to “stand in the river” is the Railroad Ranch section of the Henry’s Fork,)pictured above) where I can make several hundred casts a day and the concept of time seems to disappear. Where the fish are so picky sometimes it takes several hundred casts to get one eat! However, I digress.
Fly fishing, the practice of mindfulness and gratitude are all a part of my spiritual journey.
