Mental Toughness as a Requirement?

[rangerrich99]

Quick question: had this discussion in another non-fishing forum and was curious: how important, or is it important, to have a high level of mental toughness for flyfishing?

If so, how do you define/find mental toughness? Are you just born with it? If not, why not? How did you acquire mental toughness?

How do you use it/how is it related to your fishing tactics/philosophy?

Who do you respect for their mental toughness, either personally or in sports/other? And why?

If not, why not?

 

[myt1]

I think it is very important.

Sadly, I also think low self-esteem and a willingness to suffer also figure prominently.

And there is also that thing about doing the same thing over and over and over again, all while hoping for a different outcome than the first bazillion times you tried it.

Most normal people would say this is bullsh*t and move on.

 

[rangerrich99]

I think it is very important.

Sadly, I also think low self-esteem and a willingness to suffer also figure prominently.

And there is also that thing about doing the same thing over and over and over again, all while hoping for a different outcome than the first bazillion times you tried it.

Most normal people would say this is bullsh*t and move on.

Almost spit my coffee onto the keyboard. That is a Truth, with a capital "T" for sure.

 

[joe_strummer]

Mental toughness = (persistence + focus) x some animating desire/drive/fascination.

Fly fishing lends itself as a playground for that -- and without death or bankruptcy on the line. Theoretically.



I'm headed out because I believe there will BWOs popping in the right places not getting wind today. They are due.

 

[Rip Tide]

Mental Toughness ??

More like mental illness, if you ask me.

 

[taylorreels]

Fly Fishing for Trout - Mild Commitment

Swinging for Steelhead - Extreme mental Toughness

Fly Fishing for Muskey - Mental insanity

 

[rustneversleeps]

Never experience it in flyfishing or fishing in general, but archery elk hunting is an entirely different beast

 

[lodge lounger]

Pure escapism for me....the opposite of mental toughness

 

[silver creek]

Fly fishing for me is relaxation, an escape from the need for mental toughness, which for me was my day job. I think if a person was a guide, there is a need not only for some toughness, a thick skin, and a sense of humor as well. But for me, I never felt as relaxed as I when I was fishing.

Dave Engerbretson was a friend and when he asked me if he could publish an essay I wrote about "Why I Fly Fish," I gave him permission. It was published in his column.

FLY FISHING: Why fly fish? For this we look to a friend | Looking Out | dnews.com

 

[jzim]

For me, it's fishing. Not life or death. I don't have to perform, just fish. Long days on the water (no fish) are still enjoyable. More optimism. The next cast will fool a fish.

Mental toughness is being able to function in a landscape of adversity. There's no adversity in fishing.

 

[Ard]

In the past learning to be skilled at this took dedication. One had to be willing to read as it was the only medium to find instructional information. Comprehension levels needed to be good because the student had to apply the written word & line drawings in the field while learning to cast and subsequently how to fish. I can't say that a person had to be mentally tough however they needed drive.

I wouldn't advise attempting to tell me that todays new fishers need any special talents or drive in order to watch indicators.

Sorry but it was an open question Rich. Who do I respect in fly fishing? Basically all those people still fishing the dry fly or streamer using traditional techniques. Add to that all those people who also have bothered to learn their birds - wild flowers - and geology within their range where they travel and spend their outdoor time. I've seen way too many people who are interested in a fish body count while knowing virtually nothing about riparian environs at all.

I probably should stop posting answers to questions, remember you ask and I was just one of the posters

 

[flytie09]

Fishing doesn't require mental toughness. Firefighters, EMTs, doctors, soldiers.....they need mental toughness to do their job. To tune out horrible events to still do their job at a high level.

Fishing....to be good requires persistence. But not really mental toughness. If you target the most difficult species or under adverse conditions then it might require some higher level skills like patience, observation, dexterity, endurance and physical toughness....but not mental toughness. It's too strong of a word for a hobby.

 

[rangerrich99]

Hey Ard, hope all is well with you in the Great White North.

And I always look forward to your responses, sir. In fact, when I posted this topic, I was kind of hoping you'd respond. If only because it was a thread not about "which is going to make me a better fisherman: Sage or Winston"?

I agree with you, btw. I never saw watching bobbers as a terribly difficult skill. But bobber rigs have their places/uses.

To answer my own question, I believe that it takes a certain mental resilience to learn how to fly fish well. Learning to cast for most of us didn't come easily; I know that it took me months to figure out how to double-haul. And even longer to learn how to roll-cast. I literally beat myself into submission to learn those two casting skills.

Then there's the fishing part.

Learning to 'match the hatch' is another skill that I struggle with, but I'm getting better at it every year.

Likewise, learning to read the water, how hydraulics affect where fish lie, etc. are skills that I possess, though in somewhat meager supply.

But I have a lot of practice grinding away at what seems to be certain defeat in my life, so while fly-fishing isn't life and death, it does represent a certain challenge. And I enjoy battling my own weaknesses/shortcomings in the effort to become a better fisherman. Fly fisherman.

And God knows, I've done my share of fishing in thunderstorms, blizzards, raging rivers, howling gales, climbing up and down cliffs and ravines, etc, and so on, for the hope of wetting a line and seeing a fish rise. And I think it takes a kind of fortitude to subject yourself to those types of things. Over and over. And over.

Granted, it's not the same as signing aboard a crab boat for Opelio fishing, but I believe it takes some grit anyway.

Oh, and personally, Larry Mac is someone that I respect for many things, including his determination. I was fishing with him a couple years ago when he had water on his lungs. Never complained, and quite insanely, he took the oars of his drift boat while still needing oxygen more than once that week. Made me have to take back every disparaging thing I ever said about Air Force guys.

 

[old timer]

I think you need to be tough to hunt the Rockies.

Fly fishing is how I relax. You'd only need to be tough if you were a wimp.

 

[cooutlaw]

This is a GREAT thread ! A welcome departure from some threads of late.

Firstly; Kudos to Silver - that was a brilliant article, I truly enjoyed it.

It also was a timely article of reminders for me, in that, I was actually strongly considering taking a break from the forum for a bit. My premise is that with fly fishing being a sport I have long loved and enjoy the camaraderie of sharing and engaging with other anglers, should never be a source of aggravation as we have enough in everyday life. If it becomes such, one should potentially pause to never risk loosing the passion for an enjoyed pastime.

Silver's article reminded me of some of the many reasons we fish, and also why enjoying time with others sharing the same passion is an interlaced part of the greater experience of angling with fly. S&S also provided, by PM, the reasoning of the forum filling a gap for each of us during off angling times, of sharing knowledge and experience as a quality off time substitute for the soul filling act of angling itself.

It is these types of thought and emotion provoking topics that feed our appetites for mutual understanding of this addiction we all share.

I don't believe anyone can truly articulate what another feels may be required skill sets of us each individually while angling, whether that be mental toughness, or otherwise. But I do believe we can all understand without prejudice or judgment, that it holds something different and unique for each of us, but yet, of eerily similar impact and importance.

I would add that I would perceive fly fishing to be a passion, a pursuit, a connection, an escape with which to have a gathering of scattered pieces of one's mental and emotional makeup. I believe it takes a level of mental toughness to live life in general, for some more than others, but fly fishing, I would speculate, allows one the ability to escape the need to hold oneself accountable to any level of daily life demands, and to simply be. Just be.

As such, I think angling gives us that license of permission to leave mental toughness and the associated other attributes demanded by daily life behind for awhile, where absolutely nothing becomes everything possibly needed, perhaps, in those moments, that realization, in and of itself, is why we love fly fishing.

 

[duker]

I don't know if I'd call it "mental toughness", but Sweet&Salt in another thread about saltwater fishing was talking about keeping a clear head when sighting a fish and casting to it, and I absolutely agree with that. For any kind of fishing you need to keep your wits about you, be aware of not only your surroundings but what your fly and line are doing in the water, and be ready to react if and when you get a strike. And you have to be willng to keep at it.

I've done a lot of fishing for salmon and a bit less for steelhead, and while I agree a certain degree of dedication and persistence is required, you're not sight-casting to visible fish. You're concentrating more on your presentation and working the water effectively. You cast, mend, drift, retrieve, and either do it all again or take a couple steps down and do it all again. Strikes are few, and after a while (sometimes hours) you get into a nice rhythm, lost in the experience but totally aware of what you're doing.

What I've found with the limited amount of saltwater fishing I've done is that I get too "excited" when I see a fish and have trouble getting a decent cast off. I can manage, but I have to "think" about it more than I do when I'm fishing for salmon or steelhead. I've caught my share of bonefish, but definitely have to work at keeping a cooler head when I see that fish and make my cast. After I spooked a nice fat bone with frenzied, sloppy casting, I expressed my frustration with some, um, let's say un-parliamentary language, but my guide just chuckled and said "Your casting is fine. You just get too excited. You need to calm down, mon" Well, yeah. I've got to learn to save my excitement for when the fish is finally to hand. And I think that will take something like mental toughness.

Scott

 

[flytie09]

This is a GREAT thread ! A welcome departure from some threads of late.

Firstly; Kudos to Silver - that was a brilliant article, I truly enjoyed it.

It also was a timely article of reminders for me, in that, I was actually strongly considering taking a break from the forum for a bit. My premise is that with fly fishing being a sport I have long loved and enjoy the camaraderie of sharing and engaging with other anglers, should never be a source of aggravation as we have enough in everyday life. If it becomes such, one should potentially pause to never risk loosing the passion for an enjoyed pastime.

Silver's article reminded me of some of the many reasons we fish, and also why enjoying time with others sharing the same passion is an interlaced part of the greater experience of angling with fly. S&S also provided, by PM, the reasoning of the forum filling a gap for each of us during off angling times, of sharing knowledge and experience as a quality off time substitute for the soul filling act of angling itself.

It is these types of thought and emotion provoking topics that feed our appetites for mutual understanding of this addiction we all share.

I don't believe anyone can truly articulate what another feels may be required skill sets of us each individually while angling, whether that be mental toughness, or otherwise. But I do believe we can all understand without prejudice or judgment, that it holds something different and unique for each of us, but yet, of eerily similar impact and importance.

I would add that I would perceive fly fishing to be a passion, a pursuit, a connection, an escape with which to have a gathering of scattered pieces of one's mental and emotional makeup. I believe it takes a level of mental toughness to live life in general, for some more than others, but fly fishing, I would speculate, allows one the ability to escape the need to hold oneself accountable to any level of daily life demands, and to simply be. Just be.

As such, I think angling gives us that license of permission to leave mental toughness and the associated other attributes demanded by daily life behind for awhile, where absolutely nothing becomes everything possibly needed, perhaps, in those moments, that realization, in and of itself, is why we love fly fishing.

This is an awesome observation and well put. Thanks for sharing. I think you hit the nail on the head on why we as anglers do what we do.

I don't want to speak for others...but I hope you continue to share similar level of thoughts. It's a refreshing respite from the "this or that" threads that can dominate the forum at times.

ft09 - Mike

 

[ia_trouter]

Fishing doesn't require mental toughness. Firefighters, EMTs, doctors, soldiers.....they need mental toughness to do their job. To tune out horrible events to still do their job at a high level.

Fishing....to be good requires persistence. But not really mental toughness. If you target the most difficult species or under adverse conditions then it might require some higher level skills like patience, observation, dexterity, endurance and physical toughness....but not mental toughness. It's too strong of a word for a hobby.

You just said everything serious I was thinking. Fishing mediocre takes no special effort or skill. Being among the best at most anything takes drive, intelligence, and persistence. I do respect the effort it takes anyone to become a truly outstanding fly fisherman.

 

[proheli]

I think mental toughness comes into play once you start losing, or the other team gets ahead. The worse things can get and yet you still persist or attack, defines how mentally tough you are. How much pressure can you be under and still perform at your highest level.

To me, fly fishing (any fishing) is a matter of knowledge. (and there is a lot of knowledge to assimilate) If you have the required knowledge you will catch fish. Yes, an experienced guy will catch more, or a lot more fish, but a guy will be successful.

So, in fly fishing you only have to be mentally tough when you don’t know enough, and start losing, not catching fish. Anyone who doesn’t know enough will just quit.

1. Where are the fish.
2. What are they eating.
3. Present it properly.

You can Youtube those, Orvis those, Sexy Loops them. It’s all out there. So I think there is some mental toughness in the learning process, but not that much. Persistence, yes, but if you know it’s just a matter of knowledge, then the fun and enjoyment bypass the need for mental toughness.

 

[karstopo]

I think people that fish, including fly fishermen, are looking to fulfill needs. The needs can vary from a need to connect with nature, to escape some monotony, to put food on the table, to become more skilled, to connect with like minded folks, to win competitions, etc.

I’m drawn to fishing at least partly as I see the whole exercise as a puzzle to be solved. The water and fish and surroundings are all presenting clues to be discovered and then pieced together. I find that sort of problem solving very engrossing and stimulating. Ideas spring forth from the stitched together clues and then the ideas get tested. The tool kit that the fly rod and tackle offers seems in many ways superior or more comprehensive than the alternatives. But, The tool kit is only as good as the user. There’s some or much work, effort, imagination and grit involved to maximize the potential of the tool kit.

There are forks in the road to be taken and off ramps available. How much devotion will there be to learning more about the fish habits, forage, and structure or developing some new mending or casting skill or improving upon fly patterns or understanding how rod actions and fly line relate to one another? Where does an individual draw the line? How does mental toughness fit into these ideas?

I’m not really sure. Curiosity drives a lot of my fishing. What are the fish up to on such and such stretch of water and how can I get at them. Style comes into play. There might be several ways to catch the fish once the fish are located, but some particular approach speaks to each individual. Mastery drives me, I’d like to be the master of a situation and have the skill and knowledge to understand what I should do and just how to do it. Mastery build confidence and that builds more mastery in a self sustaining positive loop. Failure tends to erode confidence and can set up a vicious cycle of its own. I know that I will tend to work harder on days my ideas aren’t paying off and it’s a great feeling turning around a tough start to a day into one that things come together. Patience figures into this and I would argue that patience can be an important component to mental toughness. Don’t make that cast too soon, study the water and the fish’s behavior first. Being able to fish alone is part of the mental toughness equation. If you require someone, outside some physical or access need, to constantly show you the ropes and guide your every move, then how mentally tough can that be? Fish alone and solve your own problems and test your own ideas. We all get together on forums for ideas and socializing, but at some point you have to go at it alone and test your own ideas and skills. Otherwise, fishing is about having a good time with friends or just wanting someone to find the fish for you, which is a okay, it’s just not a display of mental toughness.