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

 

I identify. Starting thinking about this once I hit 55. An eye opener for me is when I read an article in the WSJ on balance training. I thought...gees, I climb on rocks, logs, step up banks and wade. A 12,000 step day would be closer to the low side of my normal. my balance must be good, right?. I tried some of the exercises in the article and I was surprised about my weaknesses. So I recommend that in addition to weight training and other exercises, ones specific for balance is a good idea

 

Try keeping your mind sharp by playing "name that bruise" once a week. You'll be surprised how many you find but can't identify the time/place that it happened.
I finally purchased a wading stick this year.

 

I identify. Starting thinking about this once I hit 55. An eye opener for me is when I read an article in the WSJ on balance training. I thought...gees, I climb on rocks, logs, step up banks and wade. A 12,000 step day would be closer to the low side of my normal. my balance must be good, right?. I tried some of the exercises in the article and I was surprised about my weaknesses. So I recommend that in addition to weight training and other exercises, ones specific for balance is a good idea

I had a similar experience with the sitting standing test going to the ground. It's a no hands test of sitting and standing basically not using your hands and then scoring based on your abilities. After a year of working out I thought I got this and scored a 9 out of 10. Balance was a part of it too.

How Your Ability to Get Up and Down Can Determine Your Health

The sit to stand test measures your ability to rise from a seated position using feet alone. Read on to learn what it means for your health.

www.beachbodyondemand.com

 

I’ll turn 72 in November. The last couple years have been tough. One knee is arthritic from a skiing accident from 36 years ago. I’ve been using a wading staff for twenty years. Walking in these rocky streams doesn’t help. I was recently diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. Thankfully, I’ve always been athletic and have had good upper body strength which helps. I’m doing physical therapy and it helps. I’m hoping to fish one more year. I also just recently retired from playing in bands. Thankfully, I’ve got to fish the majority of fabled PA streams. Enjoy it while you can.

 

At 43 I still feel strong and agile. I play hockey at least once a week. When I fish it's typically an all day or more affair and other than a little neck and leg soreness I have zero issues.

HOWEVER, I have become overweight and it's not going away. I read posts like this and talk to some older folks and always walk away from these conversations telling myself that I need to stop eating cookies and tortilla chips and start exercising daily or one day it's going to hit me. I want to retire someday and fbr able to fish for many years after, travel and hike with my wife (who takes way better care of herself than I do).

Thanks for the post, I will use this as motivation and to remember I am closer to being old than young and its getting closer every day.

 

Great article.

I'll add one (possible) new item to your list:

Tactical knee pads. I use the ones featured in Tim Flager's video on what we can learn from competition anglers, who wear them to creat a low profile in the water. While I certainly do use them for fishing in a kneeled position, I mostly use them to protect my aging knees. They are great for going to one knee to flip over a rock to inspect bugs or for any other reason to kneel. They also have helped a few times when I fell and couldve smashed my knee on a rock.

I get funny looks from people but I never fish without my knee & shin guards. Even when hiking small brookie streams I feel they can help with snake bite protection, at least on the front.

But great article and keep fishing as long as you can!

 

I’m 40. 6’0 and about 190 lbs. I feel ok at that weight, but acknowledge that 175 lbs-ish is probably a better “playing weight” for me.

Twice in my life, once in my mid 20’s and once in my mid 30’s, I’ve noticed pretty obvious decreases in my appetite over the course of a few months. Both times, my bigger appetite never came back. I’d say I eat 1/3 to 1/2 of the calories I did in my early 20’s. I just get full much faster, and I try to listen to my body telling me I don’t need to eat as much. I still don’t really diet per se, but I find most days I’m only really hungry for two meals a day. On work days, I usually skip breakfast, and on weekends or vacation I usually find myself skipping lunch most days or just having a small salad or a couple handfuls of pretzels, unless I’m fishing. I like relaxing and taking a break and eating lunch streamside when fishing.

The above is enough for me to break even weight wise. Around the holidays I may put on a couple pounds, but as of now, they still come off fairly easily and I end up back at about 190. I probably should make a conscious effort to get to 175, and then try to hold that, but I too, tend to lack the motivation.

Yeah, I’m a little stiff and sore getting out of the truck after a drive home from a day hiking 6 or 8 miles small stream fishing, where I wasn’t 10 years ago, but it’s nothing worth complaining about. I think, starting to have joint issues, and that affecting my fishing, would be sufficient motivation to drop a few pounds. But so far, I haven’t found it.

As far as wading goes, I’m a much more cautious wader now than I was in my 20’s or early 30’s. You fall, get wet, hopefully don’t get hurt, and get smarter about it over time. I’ve caught lots of fish. Wading in over my ability to catch a couple more doesn’t seem worth it any more.

 

If I live to Christmas, I'll be 75. I played age-level basketball for many years, and for the most part, it really helped keep me in shape. The downside was my knees. I injured one at age 46, and I am scheduled to have it replaced on Nov. 18 -- after autumn trout fishing and fall turkey hunting. I hurt my other one on July 3 this year, and that's the end of my basketball playing. This "good" knee isn't too good now, and I suppose I'll be looking to replace it, too, down the line. Basketball was good for me till then, esp. my cardiovascular system. I don't have the mentality to go to a gym to exercise; to me that is drudgery, though I may have to resort to that after surgery.

I didn't use a wading staff till about 3 years ago; now I wouldn't fish many places without it. I smear hemp cream on my knees to deaden the pain (works minimally) and wear knee braces when fishing and will when hunting turkeys this fall, too. (I will not hide in a blind with decoys in a "food plot" to hunt turkeys either.)

I am no longer good for more than a mile of water and a walk back to my truck, and it takes me longer to fish that distance than it once did. I do not care to fish and mow grass on the same day.

I do not plan give in. After I get the knee replaced, I will do my due diligence with therapy. My goal will be to be back on the water by mid-February.

Anyhow, the golden years are "here at last...The golden years can kiss my ---," as the poem notes.

 

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. 🙂

 

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View attachment 1641237822A 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

Well said. I identify for sure. At 64 I really need some weight training, in decent shape overall having played tennis and racquetball most of my life. But I notice the mobility issues after a 8-10+hr day on the water.
As vision gets worse I need strong 3x to tie flies.
This year I purchased a second renzetti vice for my 30year old nephew in Ireland and spent some time with him on tying basics this summer. (With the intent he will be my flytier for my future summers there 😄)
I plan to teach my 18month pittsburgh PA grandson the same on this side of the ocean, after I get him hooked on fishing that is,😉 and he will get my PA located renzetti and material, hopefully keeping me going for a few more decades...😍

But for sure, gym and strength training in my zone now, a couple years ago after a few incredible steelhead days I got tennis/golf/fishing elbow so bad I had to stop fishing and realized I need to train my arm muscles, since that year no reoccurring issues because of the strength training 💪

I've had a couple of great spinner drake mornings on penns at daybreak with nobody around except 20'' fish 😁

Love to fish
John

 

I stumble more. Now have neuropathy in hands and feet due to chemo treatments. Even before that I would seem to have one crazy fall every year. Fortunately never got really hurt. Now I will need to slow down, take my time. That is not really a bad thing. I am watching more (I mainly dry fly fish) and strategizing more in terms of positioning etc. I am being selective about which riser I want to go after and can identify a bigger fish in many cases. I am still catching fish as well or better than ever. The big thing is I am really enjoying my time out there. I am starting physical therapy for both shoulders among other things so hoping that helps.

 

At 56, I've gotten into running and lifting a lot. I am probably doing too much. Golfers elbow, left knee pain, achilles issues, and what I think may be a sports hernia. BP and cholesterol way down, weight down, and looking pretty good if I don't say so myself. Biggest negative: less time for fishing.

 

I'm 79 and still going strong. I am careful when and where I wade. I decided to buy a wading staff "just in case". Some of the banks I need to go up to get out of the creeks are fairly steep and they worry me a bit, but so far so good. My legs are very strong since I am a life long runner, and, still run 3.5 miles every other day, and, walk the course when I play golf.

 

65 here. Still pretty active. Gave up teaching aiki jutsu and karate to have more ME time. Replaced that with Max Edward's Busy Dad Training and eating fairly clean diet of vegetables fish and meat and occasional fruit. Cut out all processed foods and seed oils.

No aches pains or meds but would still like to drop 20. Depending on where I fish, I will carry a wading staff. I feel I fish and hunt smarter and try not to get into situations where I could get in trouble.

I'm thankful 🙏 for my health.

 

I’ve enjoyed reading through all these. I don’t “feel” old mentally, but physically have begun to notice the minor aches and pains. Time marches on…

Great article Dave.

 

I’ve enjoyed reading through all these. I don’t “feel” old mentally, but physically have begun to notice the minor aches and pains. Time marches on…

Great article Dave.

Jay
You have stated exactly where I am mentally and what I am seeing/feeling physically. Time marches on…and I’ll keep wading until I can’t.

 

I know I have to think more about every step. Also, places where I used to jump or hop up or jump down are more of a problem. I feel stupid some of the places I need to crawl up or crawl down. It's not so much I absolutely have to, I just think more about being careful. Riverwhy (my brother) slipped one year at Penns and had to leave early with a nasty bruise on his shin. I always think about what kind of injury could start the downward slide.

 

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. I have no problem wading the streams I fish and am probably naive to think I don't need a wading staff. Looking forward to the day I retire, BTW anyone want to buy a Pharmacy?

 

I started using a staff (Folstaff) in my thirties, and should have started in my teens. As I think back to my days of hopping while slipping on big water like the Beaverkill in my slippery rubber soled Sears hippers, I wonder why I've never taken a serious fall. Two years ago, I had a spell where I realized my balance had suddenly gone from something I never had to think about to where I became super cautious and uncertain. I'm 80 now and have been watchful for decades for signs of ageing as I watched many of my contemporaries lose their agility. Turns out that the balance problems were due to lesions in the brain lobe that control balance, according to the diagnosis of StageIV lung cancer the very next couple of weeks. AstraZeneca has a third generation therapy that works especially well for me, and it got rid of the lesions. So physically I'm back to where I was several years ago. However, I notice I'm not as avid for hopping into the water. When I was busy raising kids and traveling for work a whole lot, I would zip out to trout every moment I could get. I figured I was learning, even if I wasn't catching, and felt I was storing the information for future trips. Now I recognize I won't be using all that knowledge in twenty years, and spend more of my ffishing time just checking out on how things are doing. Also, when you are retired and can ffish anytime you want, you get real choosy about just when you don the waders and hop in.