Barley, my new fly rod

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." - Doug Larson

This is a post commemorating the purchase of my first fly rod. From what I understand, the ultimate fly rod is one that becomes an extension of your arm, allowing the seamless and eloquent transfer of energy from your elbow to the fly without any interruptions, entanglements, or stress. With this simple instrument, I hope to catch and play many fish -- to know and love streams and rivers, and understand a new layer of the wilderness.

It is a 5/6 weight rod, from Wild Water -- they build rods in upstate New York. It came in a starter kit with a reel, line & leader, and a few flies.

I think they are nymphs. For now, I will name the rod "Barley" after the roasted grain that is primary to the construction of a tasty beer. I also like how I can talk about going fishing, "just Barley and me" like the title of Jon Steinbeck's roadtrip classic.