Yvon Chouinard on fishing, simplifying, and life

Yvon Chouinard talks with Spencer Beebe about tenkara fishing, simplifying, commerical fishing, and Patagonia Provisions.

The audio is pretty poor but it's still worth watching.

Comments

[troutstream]

Five years ago, while working as a fishing guide in the Absarokas, one evening a fellow guide and I were cruising around dirt roads drinking beer. There were blanket hatches on the streams in the evenings. After several beers and venting about the day we felt ready to make a few casts. Lo and behold there was only a 9'6" 6wt, leader, tippet, and the days unused hat flies in my car. Whatever, we thought, it's just fishing, right? This will be fun! I heard of the "dapping" technique, and used it frequently on small streams, but was unaware of Tenkara. We rigged the leader to the stripping guide, added tippet and laughed our heads off for an hour or more catching and teasing fish with this rig. It was simple and enjoyable. If we were stranded, we could have eaten. No trophies caught, but one of the best times I've had fishing.
Fast forward to April 2012. I'm on a local Jackson creek house sitting for a friend and it's a warm spring day. I was merely expecting to check on the dogs and have a beer on the porch watching the creek. Hanging out on the porch with a couple friends we start to see riseforms on the water. So, to the car I go for a rod, and this time I have a five weight and reel, but no flies; only the black midge pupa that's been stuck in my hat for over a year. Whatever, it'll be fun and maybe we'll catch a fish. We pull out a step ladder and hide it in the bushes for a better vantage point. Three guys, one ladder, one rod & reel, one fly, and a school of large cuttys feverishly sipping. I took first cast and what do you know, fish on! I handed the rod over to my friend, and he to the next. We played three strikes and rotated fishers for an hour. I was the only successful angler. All fish were large, healthy, beautiful, pure-strain Snake River cutts. All taken on hat midge simplicity.
It's easy to forget about the appealing simplicity of the sport amidst all the fluff of hero shots, new gear, techniques, catch numbers, trips abroad, boat clogged waterways, etc. When I began fly fishing it was so appealing because all I needed was a rod, line, and some flies. I could tie my own flies, and I could peacefully explore the woods and water solo searching for an adventure, or a swimming fish. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.