The Wind Is Your Friend

Fly Fishing, for me, is a sport that has given me much more than just the buzz of the tug. Its really a metaphor for life through which I have been able to learn to live. So, I might talk about the bite today, the water was this way or that, or maybe how some other dude did something that caused something...but in the end it's more about the journey than the destination.
One of my favorite sayings when conditions are tough is that the "wind is your friend!" This is actually bullshit, the wind sucks and makes it much harder to cast, row, mend, land fish, detect strikes, and generally fish effectively. Take away the wind and a first time angler can have just as good a day as the most skilled when the fish are happy. Throw in a steady 30mph easterly on the lower Yellowstone and even the most dedicated dude will eventually succumb to looking for birds rather than fish at some point in the day. However, learning to fish in the wind will make you a better angler, while providing more appreciation for those days when the wind is down.
So both on the river and in life...the wind is your friend in the end! Let it blow mofo.