Joe is a great guy who knows the fine art story swapping. He knows how to articlulately and appreciatevly tell his stories and listen to yours. Before you do, here is a short article to go with it.
We all have the tendency to get so caught up in ourselves. It’s easy to fall into the small minded trap of thinking we have caught bigger fish and more fish than the next guy. It’s easy to not listen to other guys stories and only focus on our own. Come on admit it. You would much rather tell someone about the big brown you got or your recent trip to Montana, rather than listen to someone elses story about the big Tarpon they got in the keys. Through all my fishing experiences, videography, photography and article writing, I have noticed a paradigm shift in my thinking. I really enjoy capturing other peoples experiences and capturing the enthusiasm that is shared amongst fellow flyfisherman. I have also become aware of the fact that there is no shortage of know-it-alls out there and I would hate to ever become one of those losers. You know the guy I am talking about. The guy who is always talking and never listening. The guy who is always telling you about how great of a fisherman he is. The guy who has the answer for everything and claims to have seen it all. Well, in my opionion, its not only foolish for anyone to think they know it all, but also impossible. Nobody can or will every know how to fish for every type of fish. What I love is the fact that one guy may be a great striper fisherman and know all the ins and outs of the game. Another guy may actually hate striper fishing and could not care less if he ever casts a fly to a striper. One guy may be a great a dry fly fisherman in Maine, but he is just another tourist when he goes to Montana. So my point is this. Next time your about to tell someone about a great story of yours, stop yourself and ask that person to tell you a great story about one their fishing experiences. You will not only learn alot, but also come to embrace the fact that your just another guy in some part of the world casting your fly to some kind of fish. Many of men have done it before you and many will continue to follow in your footsteps long after your gone. The people we meet, the stories we tell and the experiences we share are all that we have.