Not My Monkey, Not My Circus

I have a strong personal philosophy of not interjecting an unsolicited opinion under just about any circumstance. Mainly because I know how annoyed I get when someone decides it's a good idea to give me some "help" when it has NOT been asked for. There have been a few times over the years when I have had anglers on my boat who very obviously could have used some help when it came to their casting. Usually, I just keep my mouth shut, but occasionally I will offer something up like "Hey if you need some help with anything please don't hesitate to ask". That puts the ball in their court and keeps me from feeling like a jerk for just continuing to let someone flog around and not catch anything.

Recently I have been involved in a group text message string with a couple of other Sexyloopers, who like myself are infatuated with a disciplined casting practice regimen. All of us agree that frequent and disciplined practice yields infinitely better results when on the water. One day the text string got slightly sidetracked, and the topic of folks who choose NOT to practice came up. There were various opinions on the choice that some people make NOT to practice, but my position has always been that is one of an individual choice. 

I remember years ago...2005 to be exact, a rod-building client of mine from up north happened to be in town and asked if there was a place he could fly fish. I hesitantly offered to pole him around for the day...I say hesitantly because you just never know what someone's abilities are going to be (which is probably the reason I've never become a guide). During the entire 2-hour drive, this gentleman could not stop talking about how great he was...Tarpon in Borneo, Bonefish in the Seychelles, Roosterfish in Baja, etc...I was pretty excited because having someone like that in the boat is a real opportunity to learn something!

Turns out the dude, stayed tangled up in his fly line most of the day...almost fell out of the boat twice, and eventually managed to land two small Redfish who deicided to tail at about 30 feet. It was obvious he had very little experience, did not practice at all, and more importantly, was NOT open to the idea that he needed help. I remember as we anchored up for lunch, he asked me if I could have made those shots that he missed. When I replied yes, he asked me to show him. I stood up, peeled off about 60 feet of line, and made the cast. Then he asked me to do it at 80. I peeled off more line and made the cast....he just sat there in silence.

My position was, and still is, that if an individual wants to stand on the deck of a skiff all day, having not practiced at all beforehand, and miss shot after shot and not catch fish due to a lack of practice, that is not my monkey and not my circus. I am MORE than happy to offer up what little I know, but won't do it unless asked. And, if a person is not passionate enough about the sport to realize that practice is an important part of the game, or that it can be a VERY enjoyable part of the game, that can lead to much more success on the water, no amount of the old bald-headed redneck trying to convince them otherwise is going to make a difference!

 Hope you all are having a great week!

Andy