Mini Vision Quest: The Experience

The power of the Vision Quest goes way back, well beyond our time. It was at the heart of the Native American Indian culture but its power is just as strong today. All you have to do is seek it out. The Vision Quest is traditionally known as a three-day, three-night fast, alone, in a place of natural power. Once completed, you will be “reborn” and have renewed focus on what you truly were put on this earth to do and also how to go about doing it. This goes back to what I referred to as a higher purpose in my previous post. Being called to take a certain direction or path. This higher purpose, as everything that comes out of a Vision Quest, of course can only come from God, himself. The only One that can give you true direction in your life. And the only way to truly be touched by Him is to enter His world, His environment, that He created.

So how the heck does all this talk about a Vision Quest play into fly fishing? No, we aren’t doing a three day, three night fast when we seek out trout. But yes, we are entering a place of natural power; trout live in some of the most beautiful places in the world and water in itself, has a natural innate healing power as displayed in the work done by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. And yes, we’re always fly fishing alone. It doesn’t matter whether you arrive at a stream with five other friends. After we all rig up, we cover our separate sections…alone. That is why fly fishing is called “the quiet sport”. Every time we’re out fly fishing, we’re alone in a place of natural power. Like I indicated in a previous post on Home Pools: “it is here where clear thought is possible, where new life can be found, and where direction is received”. Each fly fishing outing is what I call the Mini Vision Quest. Giving you insight and direction on how to lead your life by the creator Himself. All you need to do is seek it out.

All true, dedicated fly fishermen will relate and connect with this idea. If you look back at quotes by all the fly fishing legends, the individuals who dedicated their life and writing to this beautiful sport, it’s pretty easy to connect the dots which all lead to the idea of seeking the Mini Vision Quest. This is the reason why fly fishing becomes such a large part of our life. Why it becomes a way of life. And why it goes well beyond merely catching trout. A lot of what you see and read today is missing this core reason of why we truly fly fish.

If you look back to the original roots of when fly fishing started, you will see the direct correlation between what this post is all about and why they fly fished in the beginning. One of my favorite angling books was written by Izaak Walton & Charles Cotton, “The Compleat Angler”, published in 1653. Yes, I said 1653 – 360 years ago. And the core of it is still immensely relevant today. I’ll eventually dedicate an entire post to this book, but I just want to leave you with one quote that speaks to the idea of seeking out the Mini Vision Quest while on the hunt for the elusive trout.“

And first, I shall tell you what some have observed, and I have found it to be a real truth, that the very sitting by the river’s side is not only the quietest and fittest place for contemplation, but will invite an Angler to it: and this seems to be maintained by the learned Peter du Moulin, who, in his discourse of the fulfilling of Prophecies, observes, that when God intended to reveal any future events or high notions to his prophets, he then carried them either to the deserts, or the seashore, that having so separated them from amidst the press of people and business, and the cares of the world, he might settle their mind in a quiet repose, and there make them fit for revelation.”

– Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler



– Spirit Streams

Tags: Charles Cotton, Contemplation, Essence of Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing, Izaak Walton, Spirit Streams Fly Fishing, The Compleat Angler, The Spirit Streams Experience, Trout, Vision Quest