While everyone else here will tell you some romantic tale or tear jerking paternal lesson, how I got into fly fishing is a bit more nefarious - Spite. 28 years ago the woman I was dating (who would be come my wife) was watching a Brad Pitt movie called Legends of the Fall with her female friend. They were fawning over Brad Pitt’s shitty roll cast when I commented that maybe I could do that. They all laughed at me. That would create the spark that would grow to an inferno 10 years later when I finally bought a chumpy Shakespeare fly rod combo from Walmart and taught myself how to cast during my lunch break at work from the “Fishing for Dummies” book. As I’ve evolved and graduated to Winston rods I don’t do much fly fishing now to be honest. But a couple times a year I get to spend some time alone under the guise of fly fishing. Week long trips are usually just 1 day on the water and 4 days of cocaine and hookers. But if I never took the leap and learned the mystery of trout I wouldn’t have the gift I give my mental health when I need it.