Willie Nelson and TFO.

Wow, has it really been that long since I posted...yikes...

All I can think of lately is Willie Nelson's song, "On the road again". Having moved into week 2 of the new job, I have been going flat out and, sadly, fishing is not in the back seat, it's in the 3rd row. I haven't been out on the water in a few weeks now and I have missed being out during this amazing run of mild temps and rising fish. I guess the one plus from my previous statement is that I have been so busy with work that I have not had time to get cranky for lack of fly time.

I work in an industry made famous by the Swiss. Now, I'll leave it to you imagination as to which of the Big 3 it is: Chocolate, Finance or Timepieces - the first 2 guesses don't count. I like to jokingly refer to my career as the longest part-time job I have ever had. I started working in a jewelry store the summer of my freshman year of college. I worked at this store for the duration of my college career and ended up working for them full-time after college. I was young, I thought it was good money at the time and most important - I liked what I was doing. After a few years, I completely burned out on the retail side of this industry and was fortunate to get a job on the wholesale side.In this business, to get a job in field sales with a good company usually requires that someone dies. Fortunately, I had some good friends that helped me get into the largest manufacturer / distributor of Swiss watches inhe world. I recently ended a 14 year  run with one Swiss brand and find myself working for another. I've spent alot of time in hotels these last 2 weeks and I have had time to take stock of all those things that wander through your mind when you are alone.

I only found fishing within the last 6 years and strangely, I can't even recall how I found what would become the most enjoyable thing in my life outside of my wife and boys - ok, maybe I'll put fishing after my dogs too. I know we were living in New Hampshire at the time yet, I can't recall what lead me to find myself at Bear's Den Fly Shop in Massachusetts. I walked into that shop and looked around at items that were completely foriegn to me. Now, one would think that someone who was interested in getting into fishing would choose to start with a simple spin rod but no, why would I go that route. There was something romantic, nostalgic and pure about fly fishing and those characteristics had alot of appeal to me. With the help of a gentleman at the shop, I was paired to a  5wt Temple Fork rod and and Orvis Battenkill reel. This would be the only rod in my arsenal for a few years and even now, as the rod collection is pushing double digits, I like to remind myself of something I heard a long time ago...in golf they say that, regardless of the clubs you are using, you can either play or you can't. I like to apply this saying to fishing as well in that it helps me remember that it's not about the gear but the experiences you have on the water with friends or solo.

Now, that TFO rod might not have been the most advanced, traditional or sought after but having the memory of the first fish caught on that rod is priceless. I've sold or traded a couple rods in recent years yet, I cannot bring myself to part with the TFO rod that rests in the corner of my office. I'm sure that one of my boys will have that rod soon enough - as a side note to that thought, I was particularly pleased when my 6yr old asked me to take him to one of my secret fishin' spots this coming weekend. Weather permitting, he just might get a chance to try that rod.

Later this year, August I think, The Weary Angler will turn 1. TWA was born of a genuine love of fishing and my desire, not so much to share with others, as to remember for myself. At the time I started TWA, I was traveling an insane amount and was just tired. Tired of airports, hotel rooms, eating somewhere other than my home and having to Skype with my kids at bed time rather than being there to tuck them in myself. At 40, I feel completely refreshed with my career and even though I am the newbie on the team and have a new company that I need to learn to navigate, I am no longer weary. The blog name will always remind me to love what you do and don't get to a point where you name a blog partly as a result of how your job makes you feel.