"WHAT'S THE BEST...?"

Guest Writer

Jason Hochstetler

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Working in a Fly Shop, I get the opportunity to speak with and answer questions for a lot of new or intermediate fly anglers. And many of those questions are pretty straight forward: questions about gear, places to fish, or fly recommendations. But sometimes, I get one that's a little harder to answer in a concise way.

It's phrased differently from person to person, but the gist of it is: what's the best species, place, dream destination or whatnot, that you have ever been to or caught? "What's the best?" Sure, I could throw out a generic answer, like I love to fish in Wyoming, I go to the North Shore every year, I have always loved fishing for trout in the Driftless, All of those things are true. But I have come to realize more and more over the years, that it's not the place, or the species, or even the fish that keep me going: it's the people. The best thing about fly fishing is the people whom I have met through the years. It's the relationships built. It's the shared experience.

I started fly fishing when I was ten years old, so for starters, fishing gave me a chance to spend more time with my Dad, Grandfather, uncles, cousin, and brothers. As you grow up, you start making new friends. I don't think that it happened by accident, but most of my friends fish. And as you journey through life you come into contact with all sorts of different people from different walks of life. We may not look the same, speak the same, we don't have the same color of skin, we don't pray to the same god, but we all love to fly fish. We are all in the same "club," so to speak.

Over the past three and a half decades, I have met a lot of people through fly fishing. Sometimes you meet someone along a stream or river, have a brief conversation and go on your way; but then again, sometimes a chance encounter becomes a long term friendship with many fishing adventures.

An example that comes to mind: I am currently preparing for an upcoming trip next month. I have gone on this same trip, with the same group of guys, for the past 23 years. Every year, we stay at the same place, fish the same waters, tell the same old dumb jokes, listen to the same old songs, play the same old pranks on each other, and it never gets old. The truth is, if were only going for the fishing, or the number of fish that we catch, we would be way better off going somewhere else. But that is not why we keep going. We go to be with a group of friends that has way too much fun hanging out together.

Sure, the fish are why we went the first time, and maybe even the second time; but it's not why we keep going back. The fish are not the reason that I enjoy teaching other people to fish and tie flies. The fish are not the reason that I always get super excited to get a new angler set up with their first rod and reel. It is the knowledge that they are getting started on a great journey, and who knows who they will get to meet as a result of that? Maybe, someday down the line, I will be sharing a boat or splitting gas with them on a trip. It's all about the people that we meet, the friends that we make, and the memories that we share.

I can say with some degree of certainty that as you look back over the years, you don't always remember how many fish that you caught, but you will remember who you were with.

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About the Author

Jason Hochstetler is a native Iowan who has been exploring the outdoors for as long as he has been alive. Jason volunteers his time with multiple nonprofit organizations in Iowa, including local chapters of Trout Unlimited, Hawkeye Fly Fishing, and the Iowa Smallmouth Alliance, advocating for clean water and the longevity of our fish and wildlife. He enjoys spending time with his family and enjoys teaching fly tying and fly fishing classes at our local fly shop, Rod and Rivet, in Des Moines, Iowa.

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