Chillax

I think fly tying may just be one of the most totally relaxing things around when you can't be outside. Got a half hour to kill? Sit down and bang out a few flies. In the mood to learn something new? Fire up YouTube, find a new pattern, and then give it a try.

Currently, I'm making great progress on filling the egg box for steelhead season. Have some basics (cheese, pale pink, cream, steelhead orange, and late roe) tied in reasonable quantities. Now moving on to some nuke eggs which have always served me well.  Coupled with a bunch of green and olive caddis I've tied lately, this should put me in good stead for the coming Fall/Winter season.

On Sunday I'll hit the PM for some early Fall trout chasing, which should enable me to try out some of the beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymphs I've been tying up. It's been nice to re-fill my boxes and not get hit for $25 at the fly shop!

But back to the relaxing aspect. I find that I do need to pay attention to what I'm doing to achieve good results. Much like shooting, this means you can't be thinking about other things (Did I turn off the stove? What about that headline I need to re-write to make that ad work? Will mortgage rates go any lower? Should I shift some of my retirement dollars into a Roth IRA?). But it's not TOO mentally demanding. Plus, it's a great creative outlet.

I think it helps that I have a great spot to tie - my home office. Nice desk, comfortable chair, good lighting. All my tying supplies are nicely organized so I can find them quickly. Very chillaxing!

-Sean-