Zen and the Art of Trout Fishing

Many years ago in my 20's, I read a book call "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".  I don't remember much about it except that I remember it had a big impact on my thinking at the time. 

Remembering back I think the lesson of the book was that no matter what you are involved in, there are lessons to learn and concepts of Zen can help us to enjoy and focus on the present. I probably won't go back to fact check that memory but that seems to work for my thoughts about my trout fishing outing on the White River in Arkansas.

Here are five Zen "P" words about life and trout fishing that came to me as I thought about my day on the river.

Patience 

Wait for the bite. Don't jerk the rod too soon, be patient and let the trout hit the bait hard after many small bites. 

True in life, true in business, true in trout fishing.

Presence

Fishing requires you to be present, to be in the moment. As we left the dock in the morning the river was covered in fog. A great moment I'll never forget. As we began to fish, I quickly learned to be present, to focus on my line and rod because a momentary lack of awareness would cause me to lose the bite.

True in life, true in trout fishing.

Persistent

There are many fishing holes along the river, much like in life. We were persistent and tried each fishing spot long enough to see if the fish were biting. Our persistence paid off. We worked the good fishing holes from several angles to find our fish.

True in life, true in trout fishing.

Progress

This is a hard life one but it is another "P" word.  As I fished this beautiful river I wondered, Is a dam progress? Is clean hydro power worth the impacts to the natural environment?  

Bull Shoals Dam was built in the 1940's and still provides power to a six state region today. Each day the dam's eight generators raise and lower the river by up to 10 feet, far from natural occurance. Before the dam there was flooding and hardship in the White River valley, so flood control is a big benefit. Yet I still wondered what the natural condition of this river would be like without the dam.

People

In the end, most activities are just as much about the people you enjoy them with as they are about the activity itself.  Here is Marty, my White River guide.

He made my trip with his friendly personality and overall helpfulness. He baited my hook, directed my casts, netted my catch, steered the boat and filleted my dinner. On top of that, we had a wonderful conversation about the river, nature and our families and careers.

I found Marty from Papa Bill's river tours. Papa Bill was busy but he hooked me up with Marty. So if you are ever in Bull Shoals, call Papa Bill and ask for Marty. Tell him Bernie from San Diego sent you. He is good people.