Rick Crawford
Lesson 3: Be Grateful & Present
Fly anglers and surfers both spend a fair amount of time meditating, or at least contemplating life, as we wait for tailing (or rising) fish and waves. This downtime provides an opportunity to practice gratefulness because sometimes the fish aren’t biting and the waves aren’t pumping. However, when you do hook a fish or catch a wave, you immediately shift to living life in the present in its purest form.
Because fly fishing is more challenging than other types of fishing, I have grown quite accustomed to spending more hours scanning the water looking for signs of life than catching fish, and I am glad because time slows down to its natural pace as I search for fish. My senses become more acute as I listen to birds sing, learn to tell the difference between a swimming mullet and a cruising redfish. The green spartina grass becomes more vibrant as I turn my thoughts from why am I not seeing any tailing redfish to being grateful for my legs that enabled me to walk this flat, my arms that allow me to cast, my eyes that equip me to view this beautiful world and my ears that empower me to hear the symphony playing deep in the Lowcountry marsh.
Surfing is no different. Sitting on top of my board waiting on the next set to roll in my senses also become acute as I begin to notice things like bait balls moving down the beach and the pelicans and other birds feeding on them. The sound of the waves crashing in the background soothes my nerves as I scan the horizon for swell and my my thoughts turn from thinking about what just bumped my leg, to how fortunate I am to be sitting on a surf board in the ocean. Grateful for arms to paddle with and legs to stand on, and especially grateful to be alive and being to able to feel the unique sensation that only riding a wave can bring.
If life is a series of moments, fly fishing and surfing are unique in that they make those moments happen more frequently. Time slows down and we find ourselves not worried about what’s going to happen tomorrow and have forgotten the past. Both fly fishing and surfing enable me to live life in the present. When I am hooked up to a fish, or riding a wave, life seems to happen in slow motion, and I believe that we are most alive when we are living in the present. I also believe we can only appreciate these moments when we have a humble and grateful heart.
Fly fishing and surfing teaches us a wonderful lesson in gratitude and living life in the moment because when the surf is not pumping, or the fish aren’t biting, it’s important to focus on being grateful for what we do have instead of complaining about poor surf or fishing. Just as in life, be grateful and enjoy the ride because tomorrow is not guaranteed!