My Best School Day Ever: Fly Fishing in Scotland

We’ve been worldschooling for a while and I have travelled all over the world, but my number one favorite and best worldschooling day ever was September 21, 2018. That’s the day we went fly fishing on a loch in the Highlands of Scotland.

I learned and experienced more in that one day than I did in an entire month in a classroom. Here are a few things I learned:

1. I love fly fishing. It was the first time I have ever been fly fishing, but now I love it. It took some time to get the feel of it. It’s challenging, it’s exciting, it’s rewarding, it’s satisfying and it’s so much fun. Fly fishing is now my favorite form of fishing and I can’t wait to go again.
2. I love a good challenge. Fly fishing is much more challenging than fishing with a spinning rod. It takes practice and patience. It takes skill. You have to work at it. I liked testing myself in that way. Trout are hard to catch and that’s what makes catching the trout so much more satisfying. It really gave me much more of a sense of accomplishment.
3. I learned how important it is to listen to instruction when you’re learning a new skill. I had never been fly fishing before and didn’t know what to do. But I had a good instructor, Mr. Wes, and I listened and followed his instruction. I didn’t touch the reel when I wasn’t supposed to. I let the trout run and tire himself out. I reeled in when Wes told me to. Then I let him run again. I basically just listened and followed direction. It finally paid off when I reeled in my first trout. It was the best feeling in the world.
   

   Me fly fishing in a Scottish Loch

4. I know what the Dreamworks logo is all about. When I caught my first trout on a fly reel, I felt like that kid on the moon fishing on top of the world!
5. I learned that people and our connections to people are what make something really special. Fishing was awesome, but it wasn’t just fishing that made the day the best. It was also the new friends we made, Wes, Roz and Buddy, their dog. I hope we’ll be friends for a long time and I hope we get to fish with them again. If you want to go fishing with good people, go with You Fish Scotland.
   

   Jei, Wes and me

6. I learned that I really love Scotland. I didn’t know it before. But now I know I love it and want to go back. It’s wild. It’s got a lot of history. It’s very alive with very nice, down to earth people. But there aren’t many people, which is nice. It’s beautiful. It’s full of fairytale and legend and wonder.
7. I learned that I can have about a hundred conflicting thoughts and feelings all at the same time! When I was working on reeling in my trout, I kept thinking “don’t lose it!” and “don’t fall in!” I was grateful that Wes was holding me up because that fish was strong and I thought I was going to break my neck falling in. I felt patient and impatient all at once. I felt excited and a little scared, too. I felt worried and hopeful. It was such a crazy mix of so many thoughts and feelings.
8. I learned that I can be patient and persistent when I need to be. When I got the trout on the line, I got really excited. But I couldn’t just reel him in. I had to let him run and tire out. Then reel in a little. Then let him run again. Then reel. Then run. He fought and he was strong. I had to be stronger. He was persistent. I had to be more persistent. It took ten minutes of this before I finally pulled that trout out of the loch and was finally able to relax. I felt really proud.
   

   Finally…my trout!

9. I learned that my family is really like the real-life Griswolds! We always joke about it but my dad proved it to be true when we went fishing. When the rest of us were legit fishing, my dad kept catching his line on the tree behind him. Multiple times. And one time he caught a rock. I felt bad for Wes. He said it was going to be a long day.