Prepare for Flyfishing Season

As you prepare for flyfishing season you’re thinking, true north, otherworldly; a place where time stands still, stress evaporates, nirvana.

That’s how you imagine it from afar. The actual concrete version involves reality–wading in cold hazardous water can make flyfishing a stress generator, especially if you’re out of shape.

You’re geared up but are you physically ready?

Engrossed with the act of flyfishing, it may never occur to you that maybe you’re not physically ready. Are you in solid enough condition to wade a dicey, cold stream with laser focus on studying the water, finding and landing fish? 

Flyfishing is demanding. The benefits of physical preparedness through exercise will enhance your flyfishing at the foundational level. Being a fit fly fisher also offers numerous health benefits that directly contribute to a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience, long-term.

With a little effort, you’ll easily manage the hazards and tightly focus on pools, seams and fish……it could be nirvana!

Here’s how to begin

Building Strength

Reduces the risk of soreness, injury, strain. You can end common issues that arise from weak, unconditioned muscles. Things like back pain, sore joints, strains and sprains can be eliminated with resistance (type-II muscle) training. Build slowly beginning with body weight or light weights. Be careful, muscles can damage weak or unconditioned tendons and joints.

Strength is something you build with consistent effort, over-time.

Capacity and Endurance

Aerobic exercise conditions your type-1 muscles with the goal of developing aerobic capacity and endurance. Capacity is your body’s ability to efficiently use oxygen. Endurance is how long you can perform moderate exercise. Running, rowing, walking and cycling work to build endurance. You’ll wade longer with ease.

Consistent aerobic training over the long-term, months and years, will increase blood flow capacity, think infrastructure like capillaries. You’ll enhance your ability to thermoregulate (stay warmer while wading).

Sturdiness

The power, balance and coordination required to wade is a complex muscle-mind connection that quietly hibernates if not used. It’s a fine motor skill called proprioception that allows you to sense movement automatically. It could be called the intelligence of movement. You unconsciously sense the position of your body and need for movement and action. When proprioception is lost or weakened, it slows your ability to unconsciously react and catch yourself before a fall.

Resistance or strength training will enhance and even rebuild your balance and coordination. Again, think consistent, long-term effort.

Physicality is a Must

When you prepare for flyfishing season, you must include the ultimate asset—your physicality. The effort exercise takes is measured in hours. The benefits are life-long enhancements. You’ll fly fish better for longer… days and lifetime!

Exercise improves your solidity and overall health. You will move better in every way.

Bonus: numerous studies have reported that when health goes up, biological aging goes down.

Download my Quick Guide to Strength, Stamina and Sturdiness. And if you want more, join a virtual Fitness Community for Fly fishers and Outdoor Types.