Does fly fishing skill diminish with age?

[Doug]

I don't think skill diminishes, but physical ability certainly does. I can't wade anymore (and I am only 54), and I miss it so much.

 

[rrt]

Whoops -- the "golden years" can kiSS my ---.

Also, unlike DFG, I was never much of an all-day fisherman. I sometimes fished in the morning and again in the evening. I sometimes fished afternoons. Unlike DFG, I don't think I had the stamina to fish all day.
In my case, fishing all day would have been making work out of my favorite avocation.

Today, I fished an hour and a half this morning before running into a guy and talking with him, mostly about hunting, for a while. I'd pretty much had enough fishing by then anyhow. (I'll need the energy I saved for playing age-level basketball tomorrow morning.)

 

[JohnPowers]

I posted a report from the WB touching on this. I’m 76. Kind of fit. After Covid, back operations and Knotweed wading is tough. Otherwise I’ve still got it.

 

[greywolf]

I don't think skill diminishes, but physical ability certainly does. I can't wade anymore (and I am only 54), and I miss it so much.

I believe my skill and knowledge keep improving. I catch more fish now than I did 20 years ago. What has been affected getting older is the ability to hike miles to reach a spot day after day.

 

[dryflyguy]

Whoops -- the "golden years" can kiSS my ---.

Also, unlike DFG, I was never much of an all-day fisherman. I sometimes fished in the morning and again in the evening. I sometimes fished afternoons. Unlike DFG, I don't think I had the stamina to fish all day.
In my case, fishing all day would have been making work out of my favorite avocation.

Today, I fished an hour and a half this morning before running into a guy and talking with him, mostly about hunting, for a while. I'd pretty much had enough fishing by then anyhow. (I'll need the energy I saved for playing age-level basketball tomorrow morning.)

If I'm on a stream with fish rising, I'd have to be quite crippled to not fish to them

 

[rrt]

Well, I'm not so jaded to leave rising trout. But, most of the time when I'm fishing (85 - 90%), the trout aren't rising. I lament the diminishment of local hatches, esp. sulphurs. I also lament the total loss of tricos on a couple of places where I used to encounter them.

I'm off topic. To get back on: My wading, casting, and general overall fly-fishing skills have deteriorated over time. For those of you whose skills have not deteriorated, I envy you. Keep at it!