religion.” After we finish laughing that I have found a context for an R.E.M. lyric, one of the most cryptic bands of all time, he continues.
“How could it possibly be like a religion?”
I respond, “To me, steelhead represent values in conservation greater than themselves. The presence of these fish demands places from timberline to tide water hold a standard of richness. I think the way we care about these fish says a lot about what our own species worships, don’t you?”
He laughs. “Certainly…but on a personal level, how is the act of fly-fishing like a religion?”
“Through fly-fishing I am reminded that suffering is often the result of living outside the present moment. Sorrow often develops when I’m preoccupied. For me the act of casting is a meditation that demands my attention. Suddenly, I connect with the present and appreciate the beauty and splendor that surrounds me. Like a regular churchgoer, I take the inspiration from a “service” back to my daily life and relationships. On a steelhead trip there is a kind of Zen simplicity to it all. Eat when hungry, sleep when tired. You observe simple truths. You see fish moving upriver to spawn and realize that