In case you are wondering, this quote is an excerpt from my college application essay that I wrote about a year ago. And yes, it’s about fly fishing, a sport that has been a tremendous part of my life for the past 3 - 4 years. I can’t even count how many days or hours I spent fishing this past summer. There are simply few other things I’d rather do more than go fly fish under a beautiful sunny day.
However, I wasn’t always so fond of this sport. Back when I was about 14, I hated fishing. My dad used to take me and my brothers on trips or daily excursions to go fish. I don’t how he did it. I would whine, pout, or stop around constantly because I found it to be so boring. I’d end up angering my dad a lot by ruining those days he had planned for us. Eventually he just stopped bringing me a long with him because I would complain so much if he tried to being me. Looking back on it now, I sound kind of like a brat. But everyone’s got to be a brat a few times in their life, right?
Anyway, despite this almost ingrained hatred for fishing, my family’s summer trip to Vail, Colorado about 4 years ago changed everything for me. That trip was one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on. And since there is award-winning fly fishing rivers in Vail, our dad took us a few days to go fishing within the first week. And during those few days, my mind changed completely. I found some connection with the rivers, the fish, and the surrounding nature, and suddenly, I couldn’t think of a place I would rather have been. With two weeks left in the trip, I kept asking my dad incessantly to take us fishing. We ended up fishing almost every day for the last week, with the last day of the trip being one of the best days fishing I’ve ever had. It was such a great bonding experience for my family, and it is something I’m so thankful for.
Nowadays I am proud to call myself a fly fisherman. I can’t think of many more noble or respectful sports other than fly fishing. As I think back, I am glad I went on that trip to Vail because of the huge impact it had on me and my connection with my family.