Why do we do it

Last night I had a rare chance to hit the river after work. It was one of those things where the stars alined and I got off a little early. The plan was to go try to catch carp, but that was easier said then done. The spot I had picked out was really hard to get to. I spend most of the time in a wooded area trying to locate the fish. I saw a couple and got a cast or two in their direction but it was just practice. Hopefully I'll be renting a canoe Saturday and then I will have my best shot at landing my first carp. Well the night was not a total bust.

Searching my mind for ideas I decided to drive to a spot just 5 minutes up the road. It is a spot I normally fish for trout but there are some large flat areas and I thought they might hold carp. Well I fished there for about an hour until I had enough. The funny thing about this spot was at one point I saw over a dozen people fly fishing. I dozen people on the stream on a Thursday night. I knew why I was there, it was because I went on an adventure looking for my shot at my first carp. On this night I could not help but wonder why do these other people fish? Why did these guy pick fly fishing?

Stuck on that question I sat on a rock for a while. The water was too cold for carp here so I thought about these other guys, and their fishing lives. Then I decided to go to some swifter moving water and see if I had it in me to catch a trout on my new rod. I looked at my fly box for a fly. Now the fact that I went out for carp was a problem when trying to fish for trout. My box had what I thought would be good stuff for carp not trout.

I plucked a fly from my hat and after fifteen or twenty minutes with no fish. After opening the box again, I studied the flies I had with me for a couple minutes and decided to go with a leech pattern. First cast with the leech I had a stunning brown trout attack the fly with everything it had. Not the biggest fish but still the first that this new rod had ever taken to hand. No more then two minutes later another fish to hand, I did not get a shot of this guy because my camera was tucked away in my bag.

This is the first trout the picture was taken with my phone. I second I wanted a better picture but it threw the hook before I could get the camera out.

I was pleased with myself, switching gears like that is hard for me, but I was happy I did it because I got a chance to hold two pretty fish. Why do we do it? I think everyone come to the river with their own twist. There is something to be said about the guy who comes just to catch the big one, but in the same respect the guy who sits on a rock for a while to collect himself might be on to something too. I do not what to get into why I fish in this post, but I am amazed that there are that many people willing to fish on a Thursday night. I guess last nights fishing trip was good because I landed a couple trout, but also because I landed the question why do we do it?

-Bruce