5 Mindfulness Practices to Integrate into your Fly Fishing Experiences

 It’s no new revelation that fly angling lends itself to being that of a greatly therapeutic sport. There are countless long standing organizations such as Casting for Recovery, Project Healing Waters, and The Mayfly Project to name just a few, many of whom for decades have devoted their entire mission to the cause of facilitating space for people to heal through the medium of fly angling. Volumes of literary works have been written that speak to the deeper experiences that we encounter on the water, and perhaps even more so now, the fact that many of us are indeed fishing for something much greater than the fish themselves has become increasingly mainstream over the past several years.

This points to two things: our collective need to connect more with ourselves, and our collective need to connect more with the natural world. It’s probably safe to say that most of us could always use more real and tangible connection in community with one another, too. Fly fishing facilitates all of the above and then some. It’s powerful in and of itself, and manages to offer an abundance of physical, psychological, and inter-personal benefits as it stands. I sometimes wonder if that pull I feel to get out onto the river is actually being generated by the many systems of my mind and body that are coyly reminding me that I need some time moving and breathing in the outdoors. I typically tend to abide, and surely always leave feeling a little bit better than when I arrived. 

One of the characteristics that makes fly angling so appealing and keeps us so engaged and interested is its expansive and wide reaching scope. There are always more fly patterns to learn how to tie, new water and species to be explored, and a different casting technique to attempt to master. In the spirit of enjoying the richness of our ever evolving time spent as anglers, there are all sorts of interesting and beneficial ways to shift our perspective and even intention while we’re out getting a line wet, too. While fly fishing has long been compared to various schools of thought such as yoga and taoism, it really does stand alone as its own very unique and well-rounded wellness practice.

With that, for those who’re looking to incorporate some additional layers while on the water and in the woods, there are myriad mindfulness focused gestures to pepper in when the day calls for an extra dose of connection with ourselves and our environment. Here are just a few…

Breath Awareness. 

We all just so happen to be breathing all day long, which in turn means that we have this really great tool sitting at our fingertips at any given moment. Engaging in breath awareness can be approached many ways depending upon the individual and what they’re hoping to achieve. The simple act of paying attention to our breathing can, for some, be an incredibly grounding practice. It helps to bring us into the present moment in a clear and accessible way, and it offers a rhythmic focal point.

Try: Breath counts. Recent research shows that six nasal breaths per minute is optimal for our health, of which each breath is composed of a five second count for the inhale, and a five second count for the exhale. Next time you’re arrived at a run and have committed yourself to say three or so minutes to pause and observe(of which is almost always a good idea), incorporate a counted breath practice that includes twenty breaths utilizing this pattern. It’s fantastic for your nervous system and overall focus, and will help round out that time spent slowing down and taking stock before tying on a fly and taking your first cast.

Mindful Movement. 

No fancy pretzley postures needed here. The simple act of moving mindfully(as in paying attention to our movement) is really beneficial in and of itself. A great starting point is to simply slow down. Rather than rushing to get to the next section of water or charging ahead to the opposite bank, take more methodical and intentional steps. Experiencing the basic quality of walking is an excellent way to better inhabit our bodies and even get out of our heads a bit.

Try: While wading, use the gait pattern of a forefoot strike in each step before lowering down to the heel. This method of walking(and wading) is ideal while moving through variable and uneven terrain, and oftentimes helps to mitigate those slips and falls that we’re not too terribly fond of. Make note that the forefoot isn’t the toes, but instead the ball mounds just beneath them. It’s the widest portion of our feet and provides the greatest surface area to create a stable stance before completing each step with an eventual heel strike. 

Sensory Mapping. 

One of the better known mindfulness methods out there is that of “mapping” our senses. You can choose one sense or indulge in several within sequence of one another. For example, at any given moment throughout the day, pause to make note of what you’re experiencing from a sensory perspective. Consider any smells, tastes, sounds, colors, textures, temperatures, and any and all physical sensations that are present. A nice way to approach sensory mapping is to take a moment to pause at a new run on the river. Because we’re typically already attune to the practice of stopping to read the water, adding in a couple more sensory distinctions can help to elevate our observational practice while offering additional opportunity to slow down and tune in.

Try: Upon arrival(or while in motion) engage your sense of listening. See if you can distinguish sounds that are present to the North, then South, then East, then West of you. Some even choose to take pen to paper to sketch what they’re hearing from each direction in the form of an actual “sensory map”.

Intention Setting. 

Intention setting, in its essence, is similar to creating a goal, but it tends to veer away from the idea of performance. In other words, it’s an opportunity to consider how one might shape their perspective, while removing any pressure of necessarily needing to “achieve” anything in particular. It serves as a central point of focus, but it remains flexible rather than rigid. The question of “why did I choose to come here today” can be a solid launching point. The obvious answer of “to fish” is oftentimes sitting on the more superficial layer. While digging a bit deeper, you may uncover answers like “to relax, to be somewhere quiet, to explore some place new, to spend time with a friend”, etc. Understanding how we’re showing up on any given excursion and what we’re hoping to experience can help inform where we go, the pace with which we move, and how we approach the day as a whole. And if the intention simply is to feel the tug of a fish on your line(a perfectly reasonable intention), well then best to head to a spot where you’re fairly certain you’ll connect with a couple.

Try: Once you’ve gotten to your destination give yourself a minute or two to take an inventory before moving ahead. Complete a brief scan of your body and determine how you’re feeling from a physical perspective, gaining awareness of areas where you may feel sore, fatigued, or tense. Make note of your energy level, stress level, emotional body, and how your headspace is feeling. Getting a clear picture of the lay of your own personal landscape is a great starting point to help inform your best course of action as you venture ahead.

Gratitude Scanning. 

The word gratitude tends to evoke images of self-help books and motivational quotes plastered across corporate posters, but the fact remains: taking the time to actually acknowledge areas of gratitude can have a serious impact on our overall perspective, mindset, feelings of well-being, and literal brain matter. It’s incredibly simple, yet is oftentimes completely overlooked and underutilized within our daily thought patterns. What’s more, when we become habituated to certain persons, places, or things, we can pretty easily fall victim to the act of taking them for granted.

Try: Book-ending your outings on the water with a very simple gratitude scan that includes identifying two things that you’re grateful for upon arrival, and two different things that you’re grateful for upon departure. There are no rules, they can literally be anything. You can choose to write them down, take photographs, or just plain think on them for a few moments. 

It should go without saying that not every day spent angling need-be composed of a whole lot of extra anything. In fact I might argue that one of the greatest things about fly fishing is that it frequently offers a space that’s stripped down, simplified, and relatively free of the to-do lists that often govern our daily lives. Time in nature not thinking about a whole lot else other than the rod in our hand and the bugs skirting through the brush is at times just what the doctor ordered. There are plenty of other times where exuberantly cheering our friends on while they land a fish can lift our spirits and be about as good as it gets.

Regardless of the context, incorporating more mindfulness here and there will invariably enhance our time exploring. The best part? The more often that we integrate these really basic practices into our lives, the more they become just like muscle memory, woven into the fabric of our experiences, much like the way that we read water, seat our knots, and pause to watch while our fish kick off and swim away.