There is something special about spending a morning on the water with someone who not only possesses a tremendous amount of knowledge but also genuinely enjoys sharing it with others.
On October 28, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours on Bald Eagle Creek with accomplished competitive fly fisherman Mike Komara. What followed was one of the most productive mornings I’ve experienced as an angler, not necessarily because of the trout we caught, but because of everything I learned along the way.
It was a cool October morning, with temperatures hovering in the mid-40s and cloudy skies overhead. The water was cold, but the creek itself looked promising. Flows weren’t particularly high or low, and the water had just the right amount of clarity—not overly clear, but certainly not stained enough to make fishing difficult.
From a fishing standpoint, I couldn’t have asked for much better conditions.
Fly fishing has a remarkable way of reminding us how much we don’t know. Just when you begin to feel comfortable with a particular technique, something comes along that challenges your understanding.
My morning with Mike was certainly one of those experiences.
Learning from Those Who Know
Why Mike Komara?
The answer is relatively simple. When experienced anglers whom you respect recommend reaching out to someone, you listen.
Mike’s background in competitive fly fishing certainly speaks for itself. However, what really caught my attention wasn’t necessarily his accomplishments on the water. It was something I repeatedly heard from mutual connections: Mike is an excellent educator.
As an educator myself, that recommendation carried considerable weight.
Along with teaching mathematics and physics, I have the privilege of teaching a fly fishing elective at Walnut Street Christian School. While I want to continue developing my own abilities as an angler, I also recognize that the knowledge I gain can eventually benefit my students.
If I could spend a morning learning something that would make me a better fisherman while gaining knowledge to pass along to young anglers, I considered that an opportunity worth pursuing.
And looking back, I’m certainly glad I did.
More Than Catching Trout
Whenever you fish with someone new, I think it’s important to approach the experience with an open mind.
You hope for an enjoyable morning, good conversation, and perhaps the opportunity to learn something along the way.
Of course, catching trout is always a welcome addition, but I’ve never believed that the number of fish brought to the net should be the sole measure of a successful outing.
Catching fish is a blessing. The opportunity to spend time outdoors, enjoy good company, and learn something new is equally valuable.
Going into the morning, my primary objective was to develop a better understanding of Euro nymphing, a technique that had increasingly captured my interest.
And boy, did I have a lot to learn!
From the moment we met, Mike was personable and easy to talk to. Conversation came naturally, and before long, it felt as though we had known each other for years.
We talked about teaching, our experiences on the water, and places worth exploring. Montana and the Smoky Mountains came up in conversation, along with recommendations for pursuing other species, including muskies.
Those conversations were an enjoyable part of the morning. It wasn’t simply a matter of showing up, receiving instruction, and going home. There was plenty of opportunity to talk fishing, exchange experiences, and learn from someone who has spent a tremendous amount of time pursuing the sport.
Mike’s approach to instruction was equally refreshing.
He’s direct. He tells you what needs to happen, demonstrates the technique, and allows you to ask questions. More importantly, he takes the time to explain his answers thoroughly.
It quickly became apparent that he wasn’t interested in simply showing me how to do something.
He wanted me to understand why it worked.
For me, that made all the difference.
Where Mathematics, Physics, and Fly Fishing Meet
As someone who teaches mathematics and physics, I was particularly interested in Mike’s approach to explaining the mechanics of fly fishing.
Throughout the morning, he frequently incorporated mathematical and scientific principles into his instruction.
We discussed casting angles, rod-tip movement, and how energy is transferred throughout a cast. Rather than simply demonstrating a motion and asking me to repeat it, Mike explained the principles that made the technique effective.
One discussion involved the relationship between rod-tip movement and the direction in which a fly travels. Understanding that relationship helps an angler make more deliberate presentations.
Another particularly interesting concept was the water-loaded cast.
Unlike a traditional fly cast, which relies heavily on the weight of the fly line, a water-loaded cast takes advantage of the resistance created by the flies and leader against the water.
That resistance helps load the rod before the angler smoothly directs the flies toward the intended target.
In other words, the water itself becomes part of the casting process.
Mike also introduced me to the advantages of fishing with a micro leader system.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, a micro leader generally consists of a long section of relatively thin monofilament, a highly visible section of indicator material known as a sighter, and a length of fine tippet connected to one or more nymphs.
Because the system uses such a thin leader, it allows an angler to maintain direct contact with the flies while minimizing the influence of heavier fly line on the drift.
It also changes the mechanics of casting.
With a traditional fly rod setup, the mass of the fly line plays a significant role in delivering the fly. With a micro leader system, the weight of the nymphs becomes much more important in carrying the rig toward its destination.
As Mike explained these concepts, I couldn’t help but appreciate the connections to principles I regularly discuss in my classroom.
After all, understanding why something works often makes learning how to do it considerably easier.
Rethinking the Drift
Perhaps the most valuable lesson of the morning involved something that sounds relatively simple: understanding where your sighter should be during the drift.
For someone accustomed to fishing nymphs beneath a traditional foam strike indicator, this was an important adjustment.
With a foam indicator, you’re generally watching the indicator floating on the surface, looking for a hesitation, movement, or sudden disappearance that might signal a trout taking your fly.
Euro nymphing approaches the presentation differently.
Rather than relying on a floating indicator, the angler uses a highly visible section of leader to monitor the drift while maintaining direct contact with the flies.
Depending on the conditions and presentation, the sighter may be held slightly above the water or allowed to lightly touch the surface.
The objective is to maintain enough tension to recognize subtle changes without pulling the flies unnaturally through the current.
When Mike explained how to position the sighter and what I should be watching, something began to click.
I had spent so much time thinking about nymphing in terms of suspending flies beneath an indicator that I hadn’t fully appreciated how much control a tight-line system could provide.
Instead of relying primarily on the position of a floating indicator, I could use the rod, leader, and sighter to manage my presentation more directly.
That doesn’t mean Euro nymphing is automatically easier than traditional indicator fishing. Both require practice, and both have their advantages.
But once I began understanding how the sighter system worked, the technique started making considerably more sense.
Of course, recognizing a strike is another matter entirely.
Throughout the morning, Mike identified takes that I hadn’t even noticed.
On more than one occasion, I heard him call for me to set the hook before I realized a trout might have taken the fly.
Talk about a humbling experience!
One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of selecting a sighter that you can see clearly.
Whether you prefer pink, chartreuse, or a combination of colors, visibility is essential.
Lighting conditions, water color, and individual eyesight all play a role. A color that works wonderfully for one angler might prove difficult for another to distinguish.
My advice to anyone experimenting with this style of fishing is simple: find a sighter that works for your eyes.
After all, it’s awfully difficult to recognize a strike when you can barely see the material you’re supposed to be watching!
Learning a Different Cast
Another surprise was discovering just how different Euro nymphing can feel compared with traditional fly casting.
The water-loaded cast, in particular, was surprisingly approachable.
Rather than relying on the familiar rhythm of a backcast and forward cast, the technique uses the resistance of the water to help load the rod before delivering the flies toward the target.
One detail Mike emphasized was keeping the rod tip at approximately head level during the casting motion.
For someone accustomed to traditional fly casting, this initially felt rather counterintuitive.
Nevertheless, it worked!
Once I began understanding the mechanics, the motion started making considerably more sense.
For anglers who struggle with conventional casting, I would encourage them not to overlook this style of fishing. It offers another method of presenting flies, particularly in situations where maintaining direct contact with the nymphs is beneficial.
Of course, understanding something and consistently executing it are two entirely different matters.
That brings me to one of the most important lessons from the morning.
Practice.
Practice.
And when you think you’ve practiced enough, practice some more!
There is simply no substitute for time on the water.
Remembering the Fundamentals
Naturally, we also had opportunities to hook trout throughout the morning.
Those moments provided a few additional lessons, including one that I probably should have remembered without needing a reminder.
When you hook a fish, keep tension on the line!
Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?
Apparently, remembering that principle in the excitement of fighting a trout is another matter entirely.
Maintaining consistent tension is particularly important when transitioning from controlling the line by hand to fighting a fish on the reel.
Even a brief moment of slack can provide a trout with the opportunity it needs to shake free.
Sometimes, the most valuable lessons aren’t particularly complicated. They’re simply reminders to execute the fundamentals correctly.
And occasionally, those reminders come courtesy of a trout that has decided it has better things to do than cooperate with your plans.
That’s fishing!
Taking the Lessons Beyond the Stream
One of the aspects I appreciated most about the morning was recognizing how much of what I learned could eventually benefit my students.
Through our fly fishing elective at Walnut Street Christian School, I have the opportunity to introduce young people to a sport that offers far more than simply catching fish.
Fly fishing encourages patience, observation, problem-solving, and an appreciation for the natural world.
It also teaches humility, sometimes rather quickly!
Many of my students are still developing their fundamental casting abilities. As anyone who has learned to fly cast can attest, mastering the timing and coordination required for a traditional cast takes patience and practice.
Euro nymphing offers another approach that I believe could be particularly beneficial for beginners.
The water-loaded cast provides an alternative method of presenting flies while students continue developing their conventional casting skills.
Likewise, learning to maintain contact with a fly, recognize subtle strikes, and understand how current influences presentation can help them become more observant anglers.
I look forward to incorporating some of these concepts into future lessons.
As educators, I believe we have a responsibility to remain students ourselves.
Every question from a student presents an opportunity to examine what we know, what we don’t know, and what we might need to learn next.
That was one of the reasons I wanted to spend the morning with Mike in the first place.
I wasn’t simply interested in learning a new fishing technique.
I wanted to become a better student of the sport so I could become a better teacher of it.
A Morning Well Spent
As our time on Bald Eagle Creek came to an end, I found myself reflecting on just how much information Mike had shared over the course of a few short hours.
From the mechanics of the water-loaded cast to the importance of sighter positioning, strike detection, and maintaining tension, the morning had been filled with practical instruction I could immediately begin applying.
I genuinely believe I learned things that might otherwise have taken me months, perhaps even a year, to figure out independently.
That’s the value of learning from someone who not only understands the sport but also knows how to teach it.
Mike’s combination of technical knowledge, straightforward instruction, and personable nature made the morning both educational and enjoyable.
Would I spend another morning fishing with him?
Without hesitation.
I arrived at Bald Eagle Creek hoping to improve my understanding of Euro nymphing. I left with considerably more knowledge, a few reminders about the fundamentals, and plenty of things to practice during future outings.
But perhaps the most meaningful part of the experience was the reminder that no matter how much time we spend on the water, there will always be something new to learn.
Fly fishing is a sport built upon generations of accumulated knowledge, much of it passed from one angler to another along the banks of rivers and streams.
Someone takes the time to demonstrate a technique, explain a concept, or share something learned through years of experience.
And eventually, the person receiving that knowledge has an opportunity to pass it along to somebody else.
As I think about my own students, I hope to do exactly that.
The trout are certainly part of what brings us to the water.
But sometimes, the greatest thing we take home isn’t a photograph of a beautiful fish or the memory of a particularly successful drift.
Sometimes, it’s simply the knowledge that we left the stream a little better than when we arrived.
And I’d consider that a morning well spent.
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