Frustration = Happiness?

Since you’ve been good and we haven’t really put any articles in this week, we’ll make it up to you. Make yourself comfortable on your sofa, and watch this film on a big screen, in the dark or semi-dark. You’re in for a real treat, because this film is not only a fly fishing movie, but one that touches us deeply. The self-sacrifice, the patience, the humility, the fear of not doing well, the adventure of fishing differently or simply for new species with a different ritual, a different way of fishing. This is the story of Eeland Stribling.

Most of us fish almost exclusively for trout, or get our hands on “whitefish”, while a few furious people with deep pockets or who put all their savings into it, ruin themselves fishing for big migratory fish in countries where a beer costs a month’s wages…

In general, we prefer to offer you stories you can relate to, and affordable or exceptionally dream destinations to dream about, even if you know you’ll never set foot there.

So here’s the story of Eeland Stribling, a guy who fishes cushy in Colorado with a crappy rod, finds himself invited to fish the Permit in Mexico… And then, the guy is hooked, so frustrated… a bit like falling into a hard drug… Can’t stop the obsession… trout, yeah… well… Permit? You can’t get enough of it, man!

There, I’ve said it all, it’s a great film, and I think anyone who’s had the chance to fish for Permit will recognize that dreadful feeling of permanent frustration that’s only erased by the joy of finally catching one (even if it comes after several years)… Careful, it’s an even harder drug than Salmon…

Here’s a definition of addiction: Addiction is characterized by the repeated impossibility of controlling a behavior and the continuation of this behavior despite the knowledge of its negative consequences (realtionship, family, health, finances…).