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Fly Fishing Tips to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health

a sunset over a body of water

Did you know that fly fishing can actually enhance your health? From strengthening your body to managing your emotions, there is so much that this relaxing hobby can do.

If you want to learn more — including a few more tips for beginners — Dvorak Raft & Fishing Expeditions invites you to read on!

Teach Your Mind to Enjoy Silence

If you’re new to fly fishing, you should know that getting started takes quite a bit of focus. Tying your own flies is highly recommended, and doing so successfully requires calm and quiet. Seasoned fly fishermen will tell you that tying is a lot like mediation. With practice, you are likely to get many of the same benefits of a mindful meditation practice.

Of course, it takes time to train your brain to enjoy silence and contemplation. You can practice these beneficial wellness skills with other practices as well. For instance, practicing yoga, mindfulness, and meditation will improve your focus. These habits will also improve your health.

Build Strength in Your Body and Wrists

When you see people fly fishing, it may seem like this isn’t an active hobby. In reality, casting and fishing require practice just like any other sport or fitness routine. In fact, you can work your casting practice into your normal fitness regimen. Maybe practice your casting technique between other moves, like push-ups and stretches.

You may also need to work on strengthening your wrists in order to improve your form and movements. Simple moves like fist and wall stretches and wrist warm-ups on your hands and knees will help. These stretches can also have positive effects on your yoga practice.

Improve Your Mind With More Time in Nature

At some point, you’ll want to take your new hobby out into the real world. Just a few short sessions of this can already have lasting benefits for your mental health. Researchers suggest 20 minutes or more of outdoor time for mood maintenance, and you’re bound to spend more time than this enjoying your new passion.

Once you feel comfortable, you should start planning trips to some of the country’s top fly fishing destinations like Colorado. Here, you can take advantage of everything Dvorak Adventures offers with a fly fishing expedition. Not only will you be able to immerse yourself in a fly fishing experience, but you’ll also be able to relax and really enjoy the great outdoors. This will also give you a fly fishing goal to work toward.

Making It Happen

If taking time off is overwhelming, you’re not alone. As ZenBusiness notes, most managers, supervisors and business owners struggle with unplugging and setting aside responsibilities for a vacation. But the only way to rejuvenate yourself and even boost your productivity is through time off. And what better way to do that than a fly fishing trip. Consider it your reward for all of the hard work you put in every day.

Fly fishing is so much more than a hobby. It’s a practice that can help improve and protect your mind. You’ll also need to work on building your physical strength, which will ultimately boost your overall health. Plus, all of that wading and spending time in nature can provide even more benefits. So if you’ve been waiting for a reason to get into fly fishing, now you have a few!

Ready for a fly fishing expedition? Guided trips from Dvorak Raft & Fishing Expeditions (Est. 1969) give you the perfect opportunity to dig into your hobby, relax and see beautiful Colorado. We currently offer seven rivers and multi-day expeditions, as well as fly fishing trips from May to September. Check out our packages today!

Photo Credit: Unsplash