Fly Fishing and the creative experience

Above photo: One of my ferrule plugs that I turned for a customer from Italy

Often, people ask me how one progresses from a mastery standpoint in the realm of fly fishing. If we are talking about the sport from a creative standpoint, we are not discussing expensive equipment, lavish destinations, and keeping up with the newest crap. Instead, let's discuss customizing the sport to fit your goals as a fly fisher, incorporating it into your daily, monthly, and yearly routine. 

Fly fishing has become more of a lifestyle routine for me. As a craftsman who, over a lifetime, has incorporated graphic design, illustration, and landscape painting as a profession, I used fishing as a source of inspiration, self-love, and balance. I have always been inspired by my aquatic origins, having been born and raised in the Hawaiian Islands surrounded by water. Marine habitats and everything that revolves around them have been, and still are, a part of my daily routine. Growing up fishing, scuba diving, and surfing. My family has a history that spans three generations on the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui, with a legacy of Portuguese fisherman, ranchers, and paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys). Being outside is where I want to be.

Fly fishing really ignites the creative flow; there is curiosity sparked by aquatic insects, weather patterns, fish behavior, riparian ecology, and even the barometer becomes a whole conversation. So discovery fuels mastery in the progression of the fly fishing experience. Curiosity fuels my creativity, especially when it comes to fly tying, as an example. The ability to break out of conventional wisdom and invent is a part of the artistic spirit. Rod making can be very technical, but it is also very experimental and liberating, knowing you have built your own tools. When you catch a fish on a rod you have made yourself, that's a game changer. Catching a fish on a fly that you have created is a simple yet evolutionary step toward mastery, and it's a beautiful and creative aspect of fly fishing.

Retail has minimal impact on me in general, meaning the fly fishing industry does not direct my lifestyle experience; I create my own pathway. Because I make my own rods, tie my own flies, and travel wherever and whenever I want under my own direction, all the commercial fly fishing “latest and greatest noise” has no relevance in my life, which is very liberating. It's this noise that you eventually shut out when you have gotten to a point that I call “fly fishing independence,” which, by the way, is incredibly cost-effective!

When I speak with customers, it's my interview, not theirs. If I sense somebody wants a bamboo fly rod for the wrong reasons, or worse yet, they are going to resell it on eBay for more than what I sold it for, which I can smell from a mile away, I back out quietly. I have experienced every scam known to man when it comes to making custom rods. I have managed over two decades to develop a 6th sense about customers. So I have managed to simplify my target customer and avoid scams and manipulative people, and I have stories that would curl your hair. There is a seedy underbelly to the fly fishing world, especially when it comes to retailers and especially social media forums. They are not trustworthy, they are not focused, they are completely biased, and they take up entirely too much time. If you're young and just getting into the sport, find a reliable and seasoned mentor, plain and simple. One good, honest person is all you need, who is not trying to sell you something. A good local fly fishing shop is going to be “a friend in the know,” and being genuine and honest is a prerequisite. They do exist.

Simplify and focus your experience on your needs. What is going to make you happiest in the long run is having fun fishing and not worrying about the “latest and greatest” carbon fiber rod with Bluetooth, or nano particle reel with a braking system that was developed by Tesla. Orvis had an advertisement back in the early 1990s, a long time ago, for their Trident rods that soured me for life. It was an image of a nuclear Trident submarine, in full bleed layout, with its newest Trident rod prominently displayed on it. It was the epitome of cheese and manipulation. You get the idea. Keep it a creative adventure and keep it simple; you will be happier in the long run.

                                             ~Clint