We are One!

Well, one year old…

It was one year ago today that I began this little effort at self-expression, examination, humor, rhetoric, short literature, and criticism. As usual, with anything I love, I overdo it. Ecclesiastes says “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

For those that think this blog was all planned out; not a chance. It just happened.

It has been a joy and inspiration for me to see like minded people comment and come together with appreciation for traditional fly fishing.

In the past year this blog has;

Said goodbye to a friend.
Examined why we fish.
Advocated for wild fish.
Fought for removal of a dam on our local river.
Openly criticized the attitude and direction of the next generation of fly fishers.
Offered five or six pieces of short fiction to inspire.
Showcased some fine tackle.
Stumbled around rivers, sometimes even catching a fish or two.
Thought about the disconnection from nature of modern man and its implications.
Wrote some original lousy poetry/prose.
Quoted some famous poets and authors in regard to fly fishing and nature.
Exhibited classic salmon and steelhead flies and their histories.
Criticized the modern tackle industry.
Praised the modern tackle industry.
Laughed at ourselves.
And many other subjects…too many to mention.

People often ask me what I write. I usually answer “Words…mostly words.”

One of the great joys of blogging is finding other blogs that are in the like spirit of yours. I have linked to as many as I can find that fit.

Some have wondered why I don’t try to run advertisements on this blog. The answer is that unless I have total control of the advertisements, I don’t want them here. Imagine a post about the philosophy of fly fishing sponsored by Sierra Trading Post. Doesn’t quite work does it? Art and literature should be free. If we work under constraints we lose something special.

Everything changes. This blog, which really had no direction, has sort of morphed into a place for the examination and appreciation of the art and philosophy of angling. I don’t know where it will go from here. I hope to continue to be both inspired and to inspire. I hope to continue to promote critical thought.

As usual, you comments are very appreciated.

Fly fishing does not matter a hill of beans in the long run, but the analogies we see in our angling pursuits can enrich the other aspects of our lives. I often think as fly fishing as “All of life is within the loops, if we will just look for it, we can find ourselves.” Original quote by moi.

So, I wonder what is ahead for this blog. Many excellent bloggers burn out after a year or two. I hope I am not one of them. Ideally, I would like to publish some of the finished pieces contained here. If there are any prospective publishers out there, I am for hire!

Perhaps if you will allow me to be overly romantic for a moment, I may quote Browning…

“Grow old with me… the best is yet to be.”


Thank you for reading... all seven of you ;)

The Classical Angler, Erik F. Helm
Happy birthday. Now go fishing!