Dressing Well: A Style Compass and Map for Rookies – the Stuck-in-a-rut Fly Fisherman Story.

Description

The parable of the stylish fisherman and how he caught the most beautiful woman alive will get everyone’s attention; the word stylish will make men turn their heads in this direction. How did the fisherman land the extravagant catch you may ask? I am glad you have asked. Every beautiful, elegant and exquisite woman wants a stylish gentleman next to her side. In this article, I will list and briefly discuss amazingly useful ideas and things that the style rookie could do to elevate his style to next tier, namely ‘stylish gentlemen.’ Experienced men – if you are a late starter – this article on style is also for you! Parents with young boys will find this read very useful.

IMAGE: The Gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear fly from my sketchbook (ink and watercolour). The Hare’s Ear fly is popular and quite useful in the right place at the right time. Credit: W Van Zyl (April 2020).

Back to the parable, I am not talking about the live bait of the fisherman. Not the earthworm, or the cricket, I am talking about the angler’s use of style –fishing flies. I am referring to a man’s style, his presence, his confidence, his speech, and most importantly, his appearance. In short, I will use the presentation of the ‘hook.’ The lure, the fly, the spinner – in a freshwater fishing context.

The ‘parable’ is about a young fisherman who could not catch any fish on a specific day. Being tired and disappointed, he took a feather from his wide-brimmed hat and tied it to his hook. He tied the beautiful feather to the hook with a piece of fragile thread. It all happened just before he went home. At the end of that day – quite disappointed – he tied the newly fashioned hook to his trout fishing line. On his second cast, a large trout took the fly! The colossal trout sent the reel screaming. The rainbow trout rocketed out of the water –vertically – doing everything in its power to escape. It was a sparkling rainbow beauty! He landed it, and the entire day ended with a highlight. Why am I telling this story? What is the moral of the story, you may ask? Be creative and innovative with your style. If you are stuck in a rut, make changes to your style; develop your fly box. Include variety. Be successful every day!