This one has been hitting close to home lately. Any serious angler has gone through dry spells — literally. I’m talking about when life gets so busy that your boots go dry for not just one but maybe two weekends in a row. For a moment, you might even wonder if you’re still a religious fly fisher. You ask yourself, “Am I some kind of poser?”
Don’t worry — you’re still the same obsessive angler who brings up fishing in every conversation, whether it’s an anecdote from a recent day on the river or an analogy inspired by yet another revelation you had while untangling your leader. I’m here to help you stay connected to your primal self, even when life is determined to pull you in every direction.
Number One: Tie Some Flies
We’ll start with a gimme. The easiest way to feel connected to the water is to fill your fly box. Whether you’re tying bugs for the next big trip, rounding out your caddis emergers and cripples, or cranking out your favorite jig streamer — it’s all fair game.
If you aren’t a tyer, sort through your boxes and organize your bugs into categories that actually make sense. Heavy nymphs in one box, big attractor dries in another, all the perdigons in one place — you get the picture. Maybe go a step further and deal with the graveyard of broken hooks and stripped flies hiding in the bottom of your bag.
Which brings me to the next one…
Number Two: Maintain Your Gear
This one deserves its own article, especially since most anglers don’t take nearly good enough care of their gear. Well-maintained gear is more pleasant to use — and safer on the water.
Some simple maintenance tasks worth tackling:
- Clean and organize your pack.
- Clean your waders. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and take the opportunity to patch pinhole leaks with Aquaseal.
- Clean your fly line. This one is criminally overlooked. A great tip I picked up from Steven at The Patient Angler: take a microfiber rag, spray it with a little 303 Protectant (yes, the same stuff you use on rafts), and run your fly line through it.
- Clean your rods and reels. Warm water and mild dish soap are all you need. Afterward, hit the moving parts on your reel with a little WD-40 to keep things dry and lubricated.
Number Three: Plan a Trip
This one’s a personal favorite — and you can include your spouse in the fun. Make a short list of destinations, from easy weekend escapes to full-blown, off-grid expeditions. Even if you don’t book anything, the simple act of planning keeps your imagination fired up.
Here are a few of my current dream trips:
- A weekend at the historic Steamboat Inn on the North Umpqua. Quality time with my fiancée and my spey rod. Does it get any better?
- Beers and striper fishing with my buddy Mike in New England. We’ve been talking about it for years — this needs to happen.
- A rafting and fishing trip down the Rogue River. Classed rapids, primitive camping, and world-class steelheading? Sign me up.
- Literally any trip to eastern Canada. Paddling for brook trout, flying into a remote Atlantic salmon lodge — it’s all fair game.
- The absolute dream: a two-week expedition through the mountains and plains of Mongolia. Unique trout, the world’s largest salmonid (the legendary taimen), nomadic yurt camps, and parts unknown — tell me that doesn’t stir your soul.
Number Four: Read a Book
There are tons of fishing-adjacent books out there — from water-soaked short stories to deeply practical how-to’s. You can’t get bored. There’s something special about sitting on the porch with a decent cup of coffee and a copy of Big Two-Hearted River or Bob Arnold’s Steelhead Water. I’ll write a separate article soon about my small but growing collection of fly-fishing literature.
Moral of the Story
Our obsession continues off the water because fly fishing is part of who we are. There are plenty of ways to stay connected when the weather turns cold, when you need to rest after a long week, when you’re sick, or when you just want a quiet day at home with your family.
Simple as that: don’t let time on dry land get you down.
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