Fly Fishing: A Natural Drug

Have you ever heard someone yell “fish on!” at the top of their lungs and watched people run to get a better view? When you are in that same moment and your state of happy awareness overcomes anything on your mind, nothing exists but your fish! It is the rush you feel when it all comes together, when something is alive on the end of your line. Runners call it runners high. The natural biological adrenalin increases and the body’s own opiates course through the body. It is your “natural drug”. Do these natural highs make you go after bigger and bigger fish? Do they drive you to more exotic areas in search of varied species? When you’re not catching fish what drives you to keep casting or changing location? I feel that it is a combination of everything in nature and the “juice”! Along with nature and the “juice” there is another element involved. Your fishing experiences tell you when you put the right fly with the right cast that you will “get lucky” and catch a fish. In combination with the “juice” and nature, luck is good to have. The fisherman walking by on a stream always asks about your luck, “how’s your luck” or “had any luck?” The final outcome always seems to have something to do with luck. So here is my take: If you’re in the right spot in nature and have the right fly you will, with luck get the juice!