“World economy in ‘dangerous phase’ IMF warns” – Toronto Star

“EU crisis raises bank risk…” – Globe and Mail

“Volatility is the new norm” – New York Times

“IMF warns of new threat to banks” – BBC

I don’t know about you but the more I read newspapers the more I want to go fishing…

I had the pleasure in Calgary of meeting one of the hardest-core anglers I have met in a while. This guy lives and breaths fly fishing and spends over 150 days a year on the water. He admitted he is able to spend a lot of time fishing in part because he is single and he focuses on fly fishing the waters of Alberta and BC exclusively with a dry fly because, well, he can. We had a great chat which was unfortunately cut short because my son Jake was being Mr. Crank-Pants and I had to take him upstairs and put him to bed. As I walked Jake back to our room the comments thrown at me over dinner got me thinking.

My new friend was chatting about the various types of people he has met in fly fishing and he categorized them in part as “Pretenders” (those who think they are experts but don’t really know much about the sport), Club Members (people who spend more time in meetings talking about fishing than actually fishing), Fly Tiers (those who can’t fish, tie), etc. It was one of those conversations that I wish I had on camera because it was completely unguarded. I did not agree with everything that he said but I kept my mouth shut and listened and the thought that came to mind was, “I may not agree with you on all fronts but your passion for fly fishing is inspiring!” He truly struck me as a fascinating, honest man and, while a bit intense I would love to spend a day on the water with him.

As he spoke I kept coming back to the thought that fly fishing is a melting pot that attracts all kinds of people. I suspect that to go out fishing with this man is a privilege earned by few and those who fish with him more than once first have to prove to him that they are worthy of his company. And you know what? His motivation is different from mine and that’s okay. We derive different pleasure from the same pursuit – and that is one of the other things I like about our sport. We’re not all the same but we share the same passion.

A good friend of the store was fly fishing the Forks of the Credit on Monday May 16 and had a disappointing incident we would like to share with you. He had taken off his hip pack and left it on the bank near the Dominion Street Bridge pool and ended up getting into a nice fish that took him downstream for about 15 minutes. Upon returning to the bridge, the pack and the gear he had left on the bank was gone.

What he lost was a green Orvis hip pack with a Wheatly fly box full of dries, streamers and nymphs (his entire winter tying stash), all of his tippet and his fishing license. Whoever picked it up obviously knows the name of the owner but has not yet reached out to him. If you know the person who found this gear and they think it was “lost” or “forgotten” please have them contact our store so we can put them in touch with the owner.

Thanks!

Those who read this blog on a regular basis know that I am a fan of TED and occasionally post links to talks to which I have viewed. This talk is one I found of interest for a number of reasons. First, the speaker is Douglas Adams, a satirist and science fiction writer who is one of the my favorite authors (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, et al). Secondly, it is the first time I have had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Adams speak and his depth of knowledge and acute sense of observation are breathtaking. Sadly, this speech was filmed in May 2001 shortly before Mr. Adams passed away at the age of 49 but his books and his ardent defense of the environment left a lasting legacy. Those who are familiar with the work of Douglas Adams will thoroughly enjoy this talk and those who are not familiar with his work in conservation should listen to his message…

www.ted.com/talks/douglas_adams_parrots_the_universe_and_everything.html

Like many in this world I sometimes find myself so focussed on reaching a goal that I occasionally overlook the basic ingredients required to achieve it (and yes that is a leading comment if ever there was one…). There were many moments at this year’s Toronto Sportsmen’s Show that stick out for various reasons but one in particular I would like to share.

This time of year is stressful in the fly fishing retail industry because of the crystal-balling and the financial balancing act required to bring in the right inventory at the right time and getting the bills paid while doing so. In addition, on a daily basis we are planning for shows, serving customers and gearing up for the coming season in whatever spare time we can find. On any given day we likely have more than the average number of balls in the air. This doesn’t make us special – just busy and what this means is that we sometimes lose sight of what is important…

Sunday was the fifth and final day of the Sportsmen’s Show and instead of being in the aisle at the front of our booth saying hello to people I was hunkered down on a seat behind the counter because I have foot pain that has been nagging me for a while. I have been limping a lot and didn’t realize how much it was affecting me mentally until the last hour of the show when I was walking past the kid’s free fly tying booth which was manned by volunteers from local fly fishing clubs. A friend of the store was behind their counter and as much as I didn’t want to get involved in a conversation because of the pain I was in, I stopped to say hello. As soon as we shook hands my friend’s demeanor changed and I wondered what was coming…

My friend Michael thanked me for stopping to say hello and, truthfully, his words caught me off guard. He reminded me that part of being in fly fishing retail – or any business for that matter – is to acknowledge people and encourage them as often as possible. He went on to say that he appreciated my taking the time to say hello and thanking him for volunteering and that more people in the business need to do what I had just done. Frankly, I was a bit embarrassed because I had spent the better part of the day all but hiding in our booth and his comments turned me on a dime. He was absolutely right and while my small gesture may have been meaningful to him it paled in comparison to the impact his words had on me.

I know that ‘I’ am not important but my position as the owner of a fly shop attracts attention in the community – and that attention comes with strings attached. I shy away from the so-called recognition that comes with owning a fly shop – mostly because I am not, by any measure, an expert nor do I wish to be. I will not intentionally do things to increase my own profile because the store is not about me and nor should it be but I will always be at the front of the line to wave a flag if it will help increase our business. Michael’s comments reminded me of something of which I had briefly lost site. Although I do not want the recognition that some others I have met in the industry might crave, it comes with the territory and one of my jobs is to put a smile on the face of the people I meet. In other words, even when I don’t feel well and want to complain, I need to put on my game face and try to help whenever possible.

We are all ambassadors at all times and those of us who work in the fly fishing industry have to hold ourselves to a higher standard because we represent the industry and the sport at large. Michael was right when he said that it is our job to acknowledge and encourage people – and his unwitting encouragement of me when I was feeling down was a testament to the force a small gesture can have. Thank you for the kind words and the gentle reminder Michael. I hope you enjoyed the show…