I'm sure we're probably very similar. We work nine to five, fill out our time cards and wait for our paycheck. I get two weeks vacation, of which my wife would like to spend on a beach somewhere, sipping cocktails and basking in the sun. I on the other hand would love to spend it on the edge of a trout stream. To say it's a compromise is an understatement. For me, fly fishing is my passion, and definitely not something that's going to bring home the bacon.
With limited travel options and time, I find other ways to connect. To get my fix of all things fly fishing, I found myself becoming an avid rod builder, fly tier, photographer and interweb nerd - following everyone I can, oogling photos and trolling the forums. Thank goodness our IT guy is lazy because a quick look at my internet usage in the office might lead people to believe I'm "distracted".
Located in the Chicagoland area, most people might think we're limited to bass and bluegill. But few realize how well situated we are - able to fish either side of Lake Michigan, a couple hours East of the Driftless and some of the best trout fishing in the US (IMHO), and plenty of farm and business park ponds to choose from.
I love the term "finding the time", because as I get older, it never seems like there's a free minute. So how do you combat time, you keep a rod and a box of flies in the car, and you forgo a sandwich for an hour chasing blue gills and crappie? I've found some of my customers have some of the best fishing spots just outside their manufacturing facilities.
I don't know if I'd trade my day to day life for that of a guide. I have so much respect for guys who do; Austin Adducci, Jeff Hubbard, Steve Martinez, Kevin Morlock and all the others here in the Midwest. I love my job and what I do, but the wild card is always the people I deal with. The interactions are short, involve a few meetings, maybe some PowerPoint, but rarely do I spend more than about an hour with any of them at a time. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to spend a day helping them out, mentoring and teaching someone something that is challenging. Those guys have more patience and people skills than I could ever hope for.
I'd love to do more fishing and make it my life. But the way I look at it, it's become my escape. I'm happy being a guy punching the clock day in and day out, plugging away for another chance to wet a line, take a deep breath, and let my mind soak it all in. Because even when the fish aren't biting, there aren't too many places I'd rather be than by the water with a fishing rod in my hand.