Shell-Shocked at the Orvis School

In the New York Times, Harry Hurt gives an honest assessment of his fit with the sport of fly fishing. In spite of the deluge of information brought forth at Orvis’s Millbrook campus, even a 10-foot cast is Sisyphean: “Unfortunately, I was too clumsy to tie a basic clinch knot, much less a barrel knot, a perfection loop, or a loop-to-loop connection. I was even worse at basic casting. The trick was to move the rod back and forth with your forearm and a couple of flicks of your wrist without adding bicep or shoulder thrust. When done properly, your fishing line shot out on the water in a straight line about 10 yards long.” (Thanks to reader John DeVault for this link.)