My friends often like to remind me how I am an old man trapped in an eighteen year old body. This sentiment, as harsh it may be, is not unwarranted. I enjoy word puzzles, black coffee, chess, khakis, and even unironically leaving voicemails over the phone. Despite the greatness of solving a word jumble, none of those things excite me nearly as much as the process of landing a solid trout out on the river.

From a young age, my dad's aspirations as a hot shot fly fisherman enabled me to travel around the United States as an accessory to my dad's adventures. I never had the heart to tell him, but I had no interest in fishing until I was about fifteen years old. My transition from hatred of the sport to avid supporter coincided with me growing as a young man, and was often a driving force in me and my dad's relationship.

I first visited West Yellowstone, Montana when I was six years old. My dad dragged me along with a bunch of his old college friends because he wanted to spread his love of trout fishing with me in one of the places where it is the finest. I may not have much of a memory from that very first time, but having going nine more times after that, I can safely say that little town is my home away from home. That town sparked my love for mathematics as on my first guided fishing trip (at the age of thirteen) I was paired with a calculus professor from Yale. That town gave me a summer job last year when I worked at a fly shop. That town gave me lifetime friends that I get to visit each and every year.

The reason I will never stop fly fishing is because of the life lessons it has taught me. So many different factors play into catching and landing a fish: choosing the right fly, tying the fly correctly, locating where the fish are sitting, casting correctly, catching a good drift, setting the hook upon a strike, keeping enough tension to hold onto the fish without horsing it, getting the fish into the net, and so much more. With all of that said, the satisfaction that comes when actually seeing your fish in the net and knowing that no one is ever gonna take away that achievement from you is one of the greatest feelings ever. This is so inspiring in my life, especially now, as it teaches me that If I work hard enough there will eventually be a point where it will all be worth it.

(Add motivational life lessons to my list of what makes me an old man)