In America, we are known by what we do for a living. Remember when Barack Obama was running for president and all of the hoopla erupted in the media about "Joe the Plumber"? Yeah, poor Joe, the lowly plumber. The media sought to crucify him because he was just a plumber and not a fan of His Royal Highness, Prince Obama. Had Joe been a nuclear physicist, perhaps the media would have been kinder and gentler toward him, but no, Joe, after all, was just a plumber.
For years I was a fly tying and fly fishing instructor. I was at the top of my game and I was rated a "world-class fly tyer" before the term became cliche. I reached that point by working really hard and dreaming of the day when I would become "...the best fly tyer living in the world today." That quote was my goal. I am not saying that I actually accomplished that goal, I am just saying that I made that a goal because I believed that in order to be one of the best I had to shoot for the top and be willing to work for it.
Now, Joe the plumber might really be at the top of his field. He might even have a passion for plumbing-- who knows? It might just be a way to make a comfortable living and nothing more. Who am I to judge him. The important thing in whatever you decide to do in life is happiness. Are you happy with your life? Do you hate your job?
I chose a path that I wanted to take at age ten. I wanted to be in the fly fishing industry. That gave me a few options. I figured out that the best way to get into the business was learning to tie flies and become really good at it, hence the aforementioned goal.
Flies, as far as fly fishing is concerned, are imitation insects made of bits of fluff and feathers twisted around a lightweight hook. The image to the right is a caddisfly adult. They are found on warm water streams and cold water streams all around the world. There are about 1200 species of caddis in North America. Mayflies also inhabit warm waters and cold. There are about 800 species in North America.
Flies, as they have become known are not just insect imitations. There are baitfish imitations, too (like darters and other so-called "minnows"). There are crayfish imitations, and scuds, cressbugs and other aquatic species. We even make imitations of water snakes and lizards.
My primary interest was tying trout flies and flies for bass (smallmouth mostly, and occasionally for largemouth bass). As you might expect, I loved the creative process. Tying flies is considered an art. I love it and I eventually did become one of the best in the industry by rating. You might say that it's my claim to fame. I've even invented patterns that catch tons of fish and several of my creations have become famous. Most of the patterns I've created have been imitated by others.
So it is that my flies will be around long after I am gone. In a way, they are my legacy. Indeed, we are defined by what we do and, perhaps, what we become by it.
If I am remembered in the future it will most likely be for my fly tying, and possibly some of my visual art, or the books I have written. Whatever the case, I lived my life with passion. If I could choose how I am to be remembered it would be for that. Let it be said that I was a man of passion-- a man who worked hard, played hard, and pursued his dreams; because, when all is said and done, our dreams lead to all achievement.
It is passion that brings richness to life.
