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.)