It’s the Indian…

2022, $1000+ fly rods, $100k flats skiffs and more fads you can shake a stick at. All of these items have one thing in common, they will not make you a better angler unless YOU do your part. The boat won’t get you to the spot, the rod won’t cast itself and that $200 set of nippers, they won’t tie knots for you.  Your investment of time and most importantly effort will do it. Time is irrelevant with out your best effort.

Time, a magical word. The definition of time cites “the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.” This can be dissected in any fashion but in our world, it’s the line between greatness and mediocrity. Michael Jordan didn’t decide to pick up a basketball one day and wake up the next an overnight success. TIME and EFFORT went into his rise to greatness.

PAST. This is your experience, your failures, your success, hard times and good.  The past is your knowledge gained thus far. Could be as simple as a more efficient way to launch your skiff by yourself or technical as knowing where the fish will be at an exact measure of the tide at a certain time. These efforts in time groom you. Flip Pallot said “time you can’t buy it back,” but you can cash it in and learn from it.

PRESENT. You are in the now, make it count. Soak in your surroundings, pop in that new creek, push yourself to earn some new knowledge. When you’re fishing, fish your fly, pay attention but have fun doing it. If you’re not having fun, hang it up. It’s a privilege to be here, don’t take anything personally. You miss a fish, so what. Ran up on a sand bar at 20kts. Oops. It’s part of it, put it in the PAST and learn from it. As long as your best effort was put forth it’s a win.

THE FUTURE. Keep those wheels turning, come up with some new ideas when you’re in that daydream I know so well. Before your hand leaves the dock, have a plan. Whether 10 mins in the future or an idea you have for next tarpon season. Keep it fresh! The drive to succeed in the future keeps us coming back, TIME and TIME again.

Circling back. It’s all on you, the WHOLE thing. No amount of money can get you there unless you put your TIME and EFFORT in. I challenge you to watch the movie “Tarpon” and report back to me that new rod will get you to the next level. These guys in the 70s were basically casting VHF antennas for tarpon, 3-4 pound sticks of fiberglass, and crushed it. They poled and poled (a way heavier boat than you’re poling by the way) until they figured it out. You have it in you, cast in the yard, tie knots in the dark, push that skiff to its limits. It’s going to pay off. Remember, it’s always the Indian, not the arrow.

-Johnny

An image from “Tarpon” 1973 movie