The next challenge

A buddy of mine recently told me about how he took his kids fishing for
the first time, out at the lake. They were there all day and caught
nothing. He was real concerned that the kids would be turned off to
fishing, so the next weekend, he took them to the trout farm, where they
caught tubs of fish (a little expensive, but he figured it was worth
it). The next weekend, where do you think the kids wanted to go?

The lake.

The trout farm was too easy. They wanted a challenge.

That epitomizes for me how we progress in fishing. We want to be in a
place where it's not impossible, but we also don't want to stay where
it's too easy. I guess that's why I like fly fishing. It'll never be
too easy ;

But seriously, I may progress from the trout farm, to a stocked pond
(chasing the fish truck), to trolling a lake, to tossing spinners in a
stream, to casting a fly, maybe even to casting nothing but dry flies.
But at each stage, I'm looking for enough success to make it satisfying,
and enough challenge to make it interesting.

It's important for me to not look down on somebody who's at a different
stage in the process. They're looking for enjoyment. And they're
probably looking for a challenge, too. Most will progress beyond where
they are right now. I hope that I will.

Tim H
wishing I were fishing