The Aging Angler | Fly Fishing

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A few ears ago, Maurice and I stayed on after the Spring Jam at Penns Creek for several days. We ended up hitting the start of the Green Drakes. Always a treat and hard to walk away from the table when the game gets started. Once the frenzied rush of guides and crowds hurried upstream, we had one awesome day by ourselves in a really fun, secluded stretch of the creek.

The drakes were coming off pretty steadily, and we had fish rising with them all day long. A lot of casting to some here-and-there catches. I ended up targeting a far bank sipper for about 30 minutes and finally hooked into the largest 21"+ brown trout I had ever caught Green Drake fishing. What a thrill bringing it in with Mo in my ear cheering me on. The day was fantastic until it was time to get out of the water. It took me what seemed like ten minutes to walk ten feet over those greased-up bowling balls they call rocks in Penns Creek. What a struggle as I stumbled to the bank, but I didn't fall.

The day ended with some cigars and bourbon, reviewing our accomplishments as you can only do fly fishing on Penns after a Green Drake Hatch. After a few smooth Basil Hayden's on the rocks, the question was raised: so how many Drake Hatches do we have left? It wasn't the fact that someday I wouldn't be fishing; it was the realization that as I was getting older, it might not be fishing because I couldn't access the stream.

Now in my young 60s, I know gone are the days of me jumping into First Fork without a wading staff in chest-high deep water and making my way up and down the stream without a care in the world, pulling out bows left and right. Today I have a checklist as long as my arm after I suit up with my important gear like a wading staff, pull-on ice cleats (thanks @Bruno), a headlamp, and clip-on reader glasses before I ever enter a stream. These are all things I slowly added over the years to start compensating for no longer being that run-and-gun angler I was 40 years ago.

Most everyone eventually accepts the fact they need a wading staff on a stream like Penns or a headlamp when they are walking out of a stream at night. They only take you so far, and I'm not gonna let age get the better of me by limiting my mobility too soon. I was fortunate to retire a few years ago and started walking almost five miles a day. Good for my dog Caddie and most certainly for me after sitting behind a desk most of my life.

But after lumbering out of Penns Creek that day, I knew I was going to need more than some dog walking for me to keep up with my future hatches. Around that same time, it seemed like I was hearing about more hip and knee replacements from friends my age. A little more research showed me that a Scientific American article last July offered this line: "Studies suggest that muscle mass decreases by about 3 to 8 percent per decade after age 30 and at higher rates after age 60." Yikes, I never got that email when I signed up with AARP. So I decided to start going to the gym 3-4 days a week with the goal of a full-body weighted workout.

I only wanted to improve strength in my legs for wading and arms for casting. Easy, right? The reality is that for proper fitness, this includes your arms, shoulders, core, legs, glutes, and more. All should be targeted for balanced well-being. The first couple of months were pretty tough, but I stuck with it and now not only do I enjoy my workouts, I really need them as part of my weekly activities.

During the process, I recognized I had some lingering joint issues and I proactively sought some help from a Physical Therapist. She not only helped overcome that troubled knee and shoulder but taught me proper stretching and even more new exercise techniques. I encourage anyone heading on this journey to discuss goals and arrive at a personal plan from a professional.

Results are hard to measure, but I felt a little more confident cruising through the streams this year, with a wading staff of course. The weight I am now lifting has increased about 50%, I feel better, and I didn't fall into any streams this year. Always a bonus. I know I'm investing in myself and future fly fishing Dave. I can't change the fact I'm 62, I will move up to the senior tees for golf and take that senior discount at CVS, and hopefully, you'll be seeing me down the road on Penns Creek easily casting way across the far side of the bank to a nice lurking brownie.

photo by Maurice

 

At age 70 and still working 50 hours 6 days a week, I still manage to get out to my local stream a few hours a week. I hike a 2.5 mile trail 3-4 times a week but according to my BMI if I lose 30 lbs I'll still be considered obese.

Your example is probably just more proof that BMI is crap:

BMI Is Misleading—Could Your 'Body Roundness Index' Be a Better Health Indicator?

Researchers have found that measuring a person's 'body roundness index' is a more accurate predictor of obesity and health risk than BMI. Here's what you need to know about BRI.

www.health.com

 

I maintain pretty good conditioning by heating with wood. not much sitting around if you want to keep the fire going and stay warm.. 🙂

You know I approve of this method. That's a love-hate part of heating with wood for me.

the guys at the WW jam told me i was good for another five years. 🙂

You're not gonna let us live that one down, are ya? Technically, that was HopBack, but..... 🤣

You're a good dude, Larry. May the fish gods smile down on you.

 

let's face it, getting old sucks, period.

i've put seven decades on my body, never been to a gym. i maintain pretty good conditioning by heating with wood. not much sitting around if you want to keep the fire going and stay warm. chainsawing, lifting, toting, splitting, stacking, wheelbarrowing wood from the stack to the fire ring outside the door, regular trips from the ring to woodstove and finally ash removal. they say that wood heats you seven times.

carrying way more stuff than i need and wading against the currents of the Delaware river is part of my exercise program too.

the guys at the WW jam told me i was good for another five years

let's face it, getting old sucks, period.

i've put seven decades on my body, never been to a gym. i maintain pretty good conditioning by heating with wood. not much sitting around if you want to keep the fire going and stay warm. chainsawing, lifting, toting, splitting, stacking, wheelbarrowing wood from the stack to the fire ring outside the door, regular trips from the ring to woodstove and finally ash removal. they say that wood heats you seven times.

carrying way more stuff than i need and wading against the currents of the Delaware river is part of my exercise program too.

the guys at the WW jam told me i was good for another five years. 🙂

you're in great shape. You remind me (spirit and mannerisms) of a guy I fish with every two years near Salt Lake City. I first met him 12 years ago. He's in his low 80s and still goes out into the mountains to fish. He's slowed a little from the first time I fished with him, but still at it. His family worries about him going out alone, but they recognize he's living his life as he wishes and I am sure doing this keeps him sharp. he had no specific workout regimen. He credits just being active in day to day life. Hiking, fishing, shopping, doing yard and housework. Playing with kids and grandkids. Generally eating well. When I see 30 year olds paying people to help them "live", I think this isn't going to end well for them.

 

thanks, just having fun joking about the comments. i know hopback meant it to be a compliment but
it was fun busting on him a bit and to see him try to explain it. 🙂

 

I've enjoyed hearing all your thoughts and always feel like I can learn a little something from others experiences.

@PaScoGi good suggestion and Dave Weaver wears his kneepads all the time. I keep a set in my big sly fishing storage box but don't use the very often.

 

I've enjoyed hearing all your thoughts and always feel like I can learn a little something from others experiences.

@PaScoGi good suggestion and Dave Weaver wears his kneepads all the time. I keep a set in my big sly fishing storage box but don't use the very often.

Same here. We all come here to help each other.

Thanks for all you & the moderators do!

 

Over 85 and go to stream when conditions are right(f/sec. depth) every chance I get. Used a wading staff for about 5yrs should have used it before that.Have knee and hip replacement and pace maker but stilling going strong it’s all in your mind. Get out there and do your thing.

 

The late Jimmy Buffet said it best: "Growing old isn't for sissies". He surely was right.

It seems to start in the mid to late-40s with requiring reading/magnifiers and goes downhill from there. If you're lucky, your body will have treated you fairly well up until then. As the days, months, and years go by, the aches and pains start. Then it turns into overuse injuries and eventually joint replacements. Your mind all the while says, "Yeah, you can do this", but your body tells you otherwise. You push on, because that's how it works. The only choice we have is to press on and manage what life tosses at us.

You may have been able to slow the aging process and extend your stream time by incorporating those workouts and keeping things moving. After all, our bodies were meant to be moved. Idle time and a sedentary lifestyle are one of the biggest enemies to a long and healthy life. If I could give one bit of advice to younger anglers (or any younger person in life), it's to take care of your body. It's the only one you've got. Keep care of it, build a solid nutritional and fitness foundation (along with mental health) and you're well on your way.

I've slipped and fallen more this past year than I ever have. One of these days I'll accept the fact that it's okay to carry a wading staff and not cover as much streambed in an outing. Tempering expectations and staying in the game for the long haul is what it's all about. At 52, I'm a bit younger than many of you, but I too have begun to accept that with age comes limitations.

Great OP!

 

The late Jimmy Buffet said it best: "Growing old isn't for sissies". He surely was right.

It seems to start in the mid to late-40s with requiring reading/magnifiers and goes downhill from there. If you're lucky, your body will have treated you fairly well up until then. As the days, months, and years go by, the aches and pains start. Then it turns into overuse injuries and eventually joint replacements. Your mind all the while says, "Yeah, you can do this", but your body tells you otherwise. You push on, because that's how it works. The only choice we have is to press on and manage what life tosses at us.

You may have been able to slow the aging process and extend your stream time by incorporating those workouts and keeping things moving. After all, our bodies were meant to be moved. Idle time and a sedentary lifestyle are one of the biggest enemies to a long and healthy life. If I could give one bit of advice to younger anglers (or any younger person in life), it's to take care of your body. It's the only one you've got. Keep care of it, build a solid nutritional and fitness foundation (along with mental health) and you're well on your way.

I've slipped and fallen more this past year than I ever have. One of these days I'll accept the fact that it's okay to carry a wading staff and not cover as much streambed in an outing. Tempering expectations and staying in the game for the long haul is what it's all about. At 52, I'm a bit younger than many of you, but I too have begun to accept that with age comes limitations.

Great OP!

Geo I got my wading staff at ~50. I'm not using it on every stream, there are plenty of places its a non-negotiable anymore. Your point is well taken about nutrition and fitness. We are all too busy in our 40's and 50's to think about those things. But I would say start as early as you can.

 

Mishaps that were no issue for me at 66 are quite troublesome at 69. Extra caution is the key.

But the retiree compensation is being able to cherry pick fishing place, time and frequency. It's even more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

 

Good post, Dave. It is such a relevant topic for so many of us older anglers. I've been using a wading staff for the past 5 years or so... I don't leave home without it. I'm a few years older than you and unfortunately, with inherited osteoarthritis, my left knee has continued to get worse. My doctor has been suggesting a knee replacement for a couple of years now, especially since my condition has worsened to bone-on-bone. Cortisone shots are effective and have helped, but they are only temporary. I've finally submitted to Geezerhood and will get my new knee in 10 weeks. (I timed it to recover enough for next year's fishing. 🙂 By the way, I have been working out with weights for most of my life. And I highly recommend it for everyone... and I've found it has become exponentially more important as I aged.

 

This is kind of funny!
I remember when the Internet was being created and servers were being purchased and used by lots of businesses, etc.
And then pages like this started.
And I remember when this was starting!
There were others competing for attention and members.
Businesses mostly.

At the time, I was considering starting up something like this with people I knew!
(Whose bodies are now mixed in with the silt.)

Dave, you guys did a great job of keeping this going as it is - for mutual benefit of members. Not a business attraction!

That may be a sign of age!

I also want to throw this out there. People our age are purging!
Yard sales, online Marketplace, private marketing groups, etc.

Flyfishing equipment!

So much used stuff available at great prices!

Because we're all so old!


(Charlie Fox and other local experts and international speakers who used to attend the Yellow Breeches Anglers annual pre-season meetings during the 1970s at Allenberry, when they got to our age they were turning to the youth and were helping them get some really great bamboo and well-tied expertly/pattern creator-tied flies to use as actual examples from which to tie patterns.

They were the "elite" to us. The learned. Passing on knowledge to our age-group. We were learning the sport from professionals and hobbyists, and we were all teaching us and each other! There was humility.

They were the "old guys" who did have money and time to spend pursuing flyfishing for trout.
The stream, the community, Allenberry, with the annual, spring association meetings on the patio overlooking the tennis courts and the banks and stretch of the stream.
No guides on the stream.
{Until Ed Koch of Boiling Springs wrote his book about midges and then started bringing clients down to the falls and down through where others were already fishing.}
And stopping at Hille's on the way back south from Williamsport, to buy the George Harvey designed leader material.
And on and on ... until NOW! Too old. 🙂)

 

Good post, Dave. It is such a relevant topic for so many of us older anglers. I've been using a wading staff for the past 5 years or so... I don't leave home without it. I'm a few years older than you and unfortunately, with inherited osteoarthritis, my left knee has continued to get worse. My doctor has been suggesting a knee replacement for a couple of years now, especially since my condition has worsened to bone-on-bone. Cortisone shots are effective and have helped, but they are only temporary. I've finally submitted to Geezerhood and will get my new knee in 10 weeks. (I timed it to recover enough for next year's fishing. 🙂 By the way, I have been working out with weights for most of my life. And I highly recommend it for everyone... and I've found it has become exponentially more important as I aged.

@greenghost good to hear from you and always enjoy your thoughts. Knees are a tough upgrade and take some time to overcome from what I hear. Good luck with that one.
I was out fishing today at Harman's in WV with a very low CFS at 60 or 80, I had to break my staff out to climb over the rocks. Geez wasn't gonna fall in because the water is too low, but felt like a drunk frat bro on a Friday night stumbling on the rocks.

 

This is kind of funny!
I remember when the Internet was being created and servers were being purchased and used by lots of businesses, etc.
And then pages like this started.
And I remember when this was starting!
There were others competing for attention and members.
Businesses mostly.

At the time, I was considering starting up something like this with people I knew!
(Whose bodies are now mixed in with the silt.)

Dave, you guys did a great job of keeping this going as it is - for mutual benefit of members. Not a business attraction!

That may be a sign of age!

I also want to throw this out there. People our age are purging!
Yard sales, online Marketplace, private marketing groups, etc.

Flyfishing equipment!

So much used stuff available at great prices!

Because we're all so old!


(Charlie Fox and other local experts and international speakers who used to attend the Yellow Breeches Anglers annual pre-season meetings during the 1970s at Allenberry, when they got to our age they were turning to the youth and were helping them get some really great bamboo and well-tied expertly/pattern creator-tied flies to use as actual examples from which to tie patterns.

They were the "elite" to us. The learned. Passing on knowledge to our age-group. We were learning the sport from professionals and hobbyists, and we were all teaching us and each other! There was humility.

They were the "old guys" who did have money and time to spend pursuing flyfishing for trout.
The stream, the community, Allenberry, with the annual, spring association meetings on the patio overlooking the tennis courts and the banks and stretch of the stream.
No guides on the stream.
{Until Ed Koch of Boiling Springs wrote his book about midges and then started bringing clients down to the falls and down through where others were already fishing.}
And stopping at Hille's on the way back south from Williamsport, to buy the George Harvey designed leader material.
And on and on ... until NOW! Too old. 🙂)

@vern thanks for the feedback. I'm pretty sure we all had some help along the way figuring out our sport, and I was no different. Paflyfish is my way of giving back to my friends Greg and Ron that got me started.

So my wife and I we walking out dog a few weeks ago. We met a nice young women walking her dog and started chatting. Long story short, she was Charlie Fox's granddaughter. I had whole lot of questions. I have run into a few times since then and has been nice to talk with, but nobody in the family fly fishes since Charlie passed. She knew her grandfather was a big deal in FF, but I tried to explain who he was to her. I realized, yet again what a nerd I was talking about his fame.