I just got back from a week of vacation where I was able to try out my new reel and fly fishing pole. The pole actually belonged to my stepdad but the reel I bought so I could use the pole. There is so much to learn about fly fishing. Not only is there a special technique to casting there are certain ways to tie on the flies. There are also special places to look for when trying to locate a fish. There is a different way of landing fish on a fly rod as opposed to just reeling it in.
It was fun just trying to find places in the streams where there might be fish and usually the only way you would find a fish is by catching it. I was able to catch a few, but I never landed them. That actually made it easier for me because then I didn't have to worry about getting the hook out of their mouth without injuring the fish.
I have learned a whole new appreciation for those who do this well. The vocabulary is different and the stories are more about the journey than the one you bring home.
I think this is not a sport I would have enjoyed when I was younger for it takes more patience and more appreciation for the hunted than I would have when I was younger.
I definitely hope to grow in my skill, but also hope I never get more focused on what I pull out of the river than enjoying and appreciating the river itself.
So the new journey begins and I begin to understand a whole new way of fishing and perhaps a new way of living.
I hope your summer has been one of refreshment and one of renewal. I also hope you have learned something new and gained a greater appreciation for the world around you. Creation is new every morning, let us rise to meet it anticipating what new thing God has for us.
Peace,
Pastor Randy
