A tale for the turn of the year
Wish 2025 an angler's welcome with some intention setting, saying goodbye to Jimmy Carter, summer meetup dates, and the anatomy of a fly-fishing rig
CFS crew: Happy new year! Two big announcements:
1️⃣ We're having our first Meetup in Maupin in late May.
Save the date, get in touch about joining the camping reservation, and otherwise get excited. We're going to be there the same time as the DRA's TroutFest, so there will be plenty to do. I'd love for you to come out.
2️⃣ Winter class is full.
Thanks for getting the word out! Spring class won't be announced for a month or so, but we'll be doing two sections this April.
OK, back to the newsletter. Welcome to 2025!
Welcome to 2025.
It just has that ominous 1980s sci-fi / fantasy ring to it, doesn't it?
Welcome to 2025. New York is in ruins, and mutant nutria have built a functioning society across most of New Jersey.
It's the time of year for goals, and intention-setting. You probably have your own way to get ready for all the year has to offer, whether it's as simple as a couple resolutions, or more complex, like a YearCompass. For me, it's the time of year where I start to plan out my fishing season. Places to go, things to try.
Seasoned guides already have everything planned. Jeff Perin of The Fly-Fisher's Place in Sisters booked out his schedule for the entire year in the first two days. I'd rather take a page (nearly literally) from a Italian angler / illustrator Roberto Daveri. Daveri has a lovely website where he shares the charming work he's created with pen and ink, notably his 2025 Agenda, full of ponderings on fly-fishing as well as great recipes. Try to send it through Google Translate if you lack Italian like I do, or just enjoy the charming illustrations.
Some of Daveri's superb work
The Current Flow State Check-in
I've been talking with members over the past few weeks to go through what I've been thinking about as the CFS Check-in. It's basically a series of questions around short- and long-term fishing goals, and a little bit of an accountability meeting.
When it's done in conversation, it's set up to give you a set of concrete goals to bring to your fishing. A direction for guidance to seek out, and a concrete place to measure your progress against.
It also helps me get an idea of what folks are interested in, and what to share with them directly to help them reach their goals.
Stuff like:
- What skills do you want to focus in on this year? Dry flies? Nymphing? Two-handed rods?
- How much do you plan on fishing this year? Twice a month? Ten times a month?
- Are you going to be making any big trips? Is this finally the year for Patagonia?
But, there's no reason why you can't go through it yourself. Here it is. Set aside some time, even if it's just to daydream, and start to charge up your fishing for the season ahead.
Nick Parish
Remembering Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter passed over the holiday. Given his outsized contribution to conservation, and his devotion to angling, it only served to do a bit of a tribute:
Nick Parish
More Intro to Fly-fishing notes have arrived
Believe it or not, I made very little progress on my "catch up on turning Intro class backlog into articles" task. Lots more loafing instead.
But, I managed to get together all the material around the Anatomy of a fly-fishing rig. So if you got a new rod for Christmas, here's all you need to know.
Nick Parish
Current Flow State is a weekly newsletter from me, Nick Parish.
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