We're On the Mend

Dear Fellow Anglers,

To begin, please accept my most sincere apology for the ongoing delay in setup of our new online store, the release of our promised new line of products (specifically hats and an expanded selection of flies).  Further, had you enjoyed my previous posts, you would have been rather disappointed for about a month now, as I have not posted since April 24.  I apologize for that as well. 

Fly fishing is such a beautiful sport - not only does it teach us profound diligence, patience, and many other lessons both on and off the water, but, in its glorious intricacy, it is also illustrious of life's many phases, whether delightful or tempestuous.  It becomes a part of us: its depth and detail forge parallels to every mountain, every valley, and every canyon or crevice found within life.  And, of course, we know that at the source of fly fishing we find the precious and clear-flowing waters, carrying us along for the ride whether we are ready or not.  Sometimes we are not ready for the boulders or barriers we face on the stream, finding ourselves far-flung, washed out, or deeply hung on the undersides of the rocks.   As of late, such has been the case in my life.  

There could scarcely be a more appropriate metaphor: we are on the mend after being set back.  Just as one mends his line against the drag of the current, I am ready to move forward once again in life and with DSA.  I hope and pray that great things are in store, not just for me, but for all of us as anglers and lovers of creation.  I will begin posting weekly at minimum and more often as I am able.  I would also invite any fellow angler-writers out there to contribute a guest post on my blog if you would be interested in doing so.  Contact me anytime.    

I hope you find the time this Memorial Day to remember the fallen heroes of our military - those who gave their lives for us all, protecting the things and the people we hold most dear.  Certainly, we would have hardly been able to live as freely or go fishing as often without such brave sacrifice.  This is a very sacred thing, and I hope you take the time to ponder it as you cast a line in the sunshine this weekend.    

May the waters leave you feeling refreshed this Memorial Day weekend.  

Safe and happy angling to all,

Daniel     

This Is Just The Beginning

(from our latest Instagram post)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSNYKSRgvwf/

Dear Fellow Anglers,

You've seen this one before, but this is me - the regular guy behind the name. I'm not the only Deep South Angler, we are all Deep South Anglers. I started this company with the vision of spreading joy through fly fishing and its wonderful tradition. I cannot express the breadth of happiness that fishing has brought me over the years of my life, even in the toughest and saddest times. In the same way, close to my heart is the South, where I know the sport has the extraordinary potential to flourish as more and more anglers of both cool and warm water fish species are introduced to this amazing sport. I truly believe the entire fly fishing community will be benefitted by such a movement in my home region. I also wanted the company to symbolize a tremendous respect for nature. It is Deep South Angler's promise to give 5% of every single sale back to conservation so that our precious waterways will be protected for generations of fly fisherman to come. Thanks to everyone for the support so far, I cannot express what it has meant. Also, I would not have made it far without the advice and input of my good friend and creative partner @lpritch3, a great fisherman and trusted friend. I decided to post this to allow some transparency with the company. We would love to hear any feedback from any of you anglers and friends out there. What would you like to see most from Deep South Angler? Currently, we are working on more flies, shirt designs and even rods for the coming weeks and months. We are also developing plans for a video series. Please know that you mean so much to Deep South Angler, since you have been there with @deepsouthangler from the ground level. We are just getting started, so the only direction from here is up!

Tight lines y'all,

 

Daniel

Patience

Last Wednesday was a gorgeous spring day.  I spent a few hours on a local creek and had a lot of fun catching some pretty small fish.  I caught Spotted Bass, Bluegill, Longear Sunfish, and a few other species.  

When I first got on the water, I was discouraged due to the creek still being cloudy from a recent rain; but I kept on fishing . . . and fishing . . . Trying different patterns and retrieval techniques and finally a Spotted Bass gave me a take.

After that one little fish, I started catching many different species of fish.  Now, if you ever caught a Longear Sunfish, you know how beautiful they are - their bodies are a deep forest green from the dorsal area, brightening down into sunny yellow at the belly.  From their jaws, streaks of fluorescent white-hot blue and red trickle down, tapering off into luminous spots.  The colors stand out like brilliant flashes of lightning against a stormy grey sky - certainly worth a double take.  

If we do take it all in - listening for whispers of the wind through the trees, the bubbling waters of the of the creek and delighting in every fish we catch - we will never be disappointed.  Indeed, just because we are not catching monsters and mutants like those we see all the time in those (often photoshopped) pictures online, doesn't mean we aren't doing any good.  

Be patient.  Don't sweat the small stuff, including the small fish.  A true fly fisherman would think a hard-fighting, eight inch Bluegill or a two pound Spotted Bass from the creek as much a trophy as a six pound Largemouth from a managed farm pond.  It's just like taking a fifteen inch brook trout from a small creek over a twenty inch rainbow from a large river in Alaska.  

Bigger can be fun, but it is not always better.  So don't sweat the small fish, enjoy them!  Fish all the time.  Fish tough spots to improve your cast and approach.  If you get tangled, try again and be patient.  The more patient you are, the more fish you will catch.  The more fish you catch, the more big fish you'll eventually have under your belt.  Do your due diligence and that trophy will come to you.  

Thanks for reading.  

Tight lines,

Daniel