Learning to fly Patience and practice prove key when casting for the first time by Jessica Mayrer rooks Jessen has the patience of a saint. The Montana native grew up fishing near Ennis and now works as a guide for Classic Journey Outfitters. He’s used to working with rookies and teaching them the art of casting. He’s got his work cut out for him with me. “You throw the weight of the line,” he says. With waders on and rod in hand, he moves his
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Missoula Independent
wrist as if painting a wall. “Flick, flick,” he says. “See how I’m doing that?” It looks simple enough. But actually casting with any kind of finesse, I quickly figure out, is an entirely different matter. Despite the fact that my budding technique is distinctly flawed, I want to learn. My drive is fueled by the reverence and romance that surrounds the sport. Fly-fishing is much more than just a way to catch dinner. In fact, Montana regulations require many fish species
Explorer 2011
be released after they’re caught, meaning today’s effort is more meditation then pragmatism. It’s clearly not the utilitarian aspect of flyfishing that’s enamored modern culture. Writers like Ernest Hemingway and Norman Maclean speak of the sport in redemptive terms. For them the sport is a spiritual experience. “In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing,” Maclean