At the age of 45, my husband decided to learn fly fishing.

We just unloaded almost everything we owned and replaced our 2,500 square foot house and 5-acre hobby farm with a simpler life. A small house of 240 square feet has less property.

I cannot refute his minimalist approach to new hobbies. One. A fly. He studied something called Tenkara, which is a fly fishing method that originated in the mountains of Japan.

But I should be more clear. After all, this man didn't start his mountain biking hobby until he had a helmet, protective glasses, shirt, shoes, and water bottle suitable for his bicycle.

He assured me that everything he did was insightful (of course, this is why he chose me, he said with a smile).

I shouldn’t be surprised when the flying rod rack rises to the garage wall and quickly fills up with seven rods of different materials and lengths. When he wants to show me his latest reels, backplanes, flying leads, stubs and tail fins, I shouldn’t be trapped in that garage either.

He said that not all five-fold threads are the same. He stretched his arm completely in front of me, revealing two colored spools. His eyes were wide open and his voice changed like a child. He collected a bunch of frogs in an ice cream bucket in the yard and was amazed by the difference.

He told me that it depends on how the weight is distributed on the line. "I have a five-fold line with a short head, but if you call the first 30 feet, the five-fold line is actually equivalent to the eight-fold line," he explained.

I nodded, my eyes sparkling, and occasionally I made an "um" sound to indicate that I was present and making eye contact, but not necessarily listening to the full 30-minute course.

Then there is the container that bundles the flying materials. Malibu barrel, deer tail, deer hair, pheasant tail, colorful foam, rubber legs, bead head, all different hook styles and six or seven colors of lines. All these materials are very important to flies, because the choice of materials determines how the flies swim. (But you, dear reader, may know this!)

However, I cannot complain about the reproduction of flies. They look beautiful and vary in size. The smallest one is about the size of a staple. The largest is about the size of the stapler. Many flies are stolen by fish or hooked by trees and rocks, so they have natural attrition.

To be honest, there is not so much room for seven poles, 20 flying wires, and boxes of feathers and wires. Even the wading cars in summer and cold weather are hung on the garage wall, which is rather inconspicuous. Water boats are another matter. We are talking about serious ship action for this hobby. Since this "one shot, one fly" lie has gained a foothold, we have invested in a fishing boat, a fishing kayak, and a stand-up paddle board. He even asked me how I feel about the inner tube with built-in wader so that he can fly on the water while fishing. (I admit that I want to do summer flutter!)

My husband reminded me of his motto, "If it's worth doing, then it's worth overdoing." He insisted that he only has one stick, but he used "every occasion" to qualify this statement.

I took his enthusiasm and attention to detail to heart, especially when he asked me why I need another pair of black shoes or another wallet. Of course, they are suitable for different occasions.

Sartell St. Joseph St. Stephen

Sattle-St. Stephen School District St. Cloud School District

Sartell Chamber of Commerce Saint Joseph Chamber of Commerce

Log in to your account below

Fill out the form below to register

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.