I had the great honor of fishing with Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank not long ago. Dana (who has been in the trenches of covering American politics for years) launched a new column, the focus of which is “getting back in touch with our humanity.” Somehow, someone convinced him that spending a couple days on a western trout river with me might be a good way to do that. So, I obliged. He came to Colorado. We went fishing.
And, I must say, he ended up writing the most poignant, honest and meaningful pieces on the reasons why anyone might bother with fly fishing that I have read in a in a long, long time. He’s just that good. And no, I’m not talking about his fishing skills (wink). I’m talking about the message.
Go fishing…. for the planet
At one point in the story, Dana went so far to say: “If you care about the future of our planet, one of the best things you can do is go fishing. Better still, take your child or grandchild.”
As I read the full story for the first time while sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed inbound, I’ll admit that I hoped he hadn’t written about my own nervously fumbling fingers as I tied and re-tied knots, or me almost falling on my butt as I slipped on slimy boulders or my own crummy casts and tangles. I hoped he didn’t quote me on something that would have put my foot in my mouth for the whole TU nation to read. I knew I didn’t get him skunked, so I had that going for me. But the level of genuine insight—the sheer grasp of what fly fishing is really all about—eventually floored me.
I’ve written an awful lot on fly fishing over 30 years. So having the pen turned a bit in my direction and being a role player in a larger story was humbling. It turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career.
Talking about fly fishing as a means to keep the planet healthy? Whoa. That’s heavy stuff.
I mean, yeah, sure, I’ve believed that for a long, long time. Many anglers already sense that in their souls. Few of us know exactly why we feel that way.
Admittedly, fly fishing might not be the catalyst for world peace; it’s not a do-all remedy for the political discourse in this country; and it’s certainly not curing any diseases.
But then again…
Yes. On a basic human level, fly fishing checks a lot of positive boxes.
The people with their boots in the water are the ones who take time to look around. We know when Mother Nature is happy and everything is in balance or if something seems a bit off. And that makes us care… and act.
Clean flowing water brings us so much
It all flows downstream. We need healthy headwaters where trout live if we want healthy water where most people in this country live and drink. We want people to understand that.
Fish don’t care who you vote for, how much money you make, what the color of your skin is, what educational degrees you hold, or any of that. A trout river is indeed one of the most egalitarian settings on earth.
There is healing to be found in flowing water, be that mental, spiritual or even physical. Feeling the current swirl around your legs as you wade and fish a river is absolutely restorative and sometimes even redemptive.
Perhaps most importantly, the fly-fishing world is a community. Sure, we might have our quibbles over certain things, and we might even be prone to exaggerate now and then (not me, that was really a 16-incher!). But when I see someone walking along a trout river with a rod in hand, I don’t think competition; I think brother or sister, kindred spirit or a friend I may or may not have met yet.
Dana got all that. So, this is my kudos and thanks. I’m proud and grateful to have another fishing buddy.