Romancing The Stream

For me, the ultimate, is fly fishing in a state of mindfulness on a remote mountain stream with wild feisty trout. It's these kinds of days on a mountainside that are most memorable to me as well. And, at the end of the day, provides me with a profound sense of wellbeing.

As I approach the stream, I like to observe my surroundings with a beginner's mind, as if this was my first adventure into the wilderness, consciously using all my senses as I'm walking through the environment. This requires moving out all other thoughts inside my head and focusing only on what's in front and around me. A good role model for me doing this? My 5 year old grandson. The kid can go into mindfulness instantly, regardless of what is happening or who is near him. Me? I have to be alone while on the stream to reach a true mindful state.

The sound of the stream is a good starting point for me to enter into this peaceful state. Listening to the rushing water helps me to notice visual elements of the area like the rock walls, trees, and stream side grasses. As I'm standing on the bank, I begin focusing on the water's surface and the structure of the stream.  My eyes move into the stream to locate any trout movement, and then the stream bed itself. The sounds of the forest take me deeper into the moment as I'm standing in the stream. And then, there is a splash and I find a trout tugging hard on my line, everything in the forest disappears except for that trout and my conscious effort to manage a tight line.

You may have noticed I didn't mention the cast in the above paragraph. When I’m not thinking about the cast, but only where the fly should be landing, I know I'm in state of alpha...where I'm fully engaged with only the fly floating down the stream's current and the take of a trout. That's alpha, completely relaxed, fishing in peace, and savoring the day's beauty. A perfect day to fulfill the underlying needs of this fly fisher, who happens to be an introvert...