“I go fishing not to find myself but to lose myself.”
--Joseph Monniger
 
The popularity of fly fishing has grown in recent years and the pastime has even found its way to the land of cowboys and cattle. 
 
For many, the beauty of fly fishing lies in its simplicity.  Likewise, the very solace and wonder that many attracts many to the rustic landscape of the natural Texas terrain, rivers, and indigenous wildlife, also make it an ideal recreational hotspot for fishermen enthusiasts all over the world.
 
In a Texas Monthly article, Texas fly fishing guide Kevin Hutchinson wrote that fly fishing in Texas—although not something typically ingrained with the culture—can be underappreciated and at times, regarded as a type of interloper sport from the outside.
 
“While you can’t go on a fishing trip to Colorado and Montana every day, in Texas you can fish year-round,” Hutchinson explained. “The great thing about Texas rivers, especially in the Hill Country, is that they’re unexplored jewels. They’re all beautiful, with spring-fed water. And they’re all fishable,” he added.
 
In its purest form, fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial “fly” is used to catch a fish. Flies are made of both natural and artificial materials and made to look like the local terrestrial and aquatic insects. The more authentic they look the more fish people can catch. The fly is then cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line.
 
There is a Waco fly fishing club that serves the local area and nearby surrounding communities.  Members come from all walks of life and all ages and meet regularly to discuss and promote techniques of fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying and other aspects of the sport.
 
Waco Fly Fishing Club vice president Bob Hanley told Waco Tribune-Herald that he believes one reason a lot of people haven’t made the move to try out fly fishing is because it’s so different from the traditional fishing rigs most people around the area grew up using.
 
Although some veteran fishermen may not be interested in learning new tricks, Hanley insists fly fishing is not all that difficult. Despite the perception that it’s a rich person’s sport, there are affordably priced kits and supplies available for novice fly fishers, he explained.
 
For more information about the club, please visit the Waco Fly Fishing Club website at www.wacoflyfishingclub.org  or the Facebook page at Waco Fly Fishing Club.