At some point, curiosity becomes a question: What if I actually tried it? The First Yes: Why We Start Fly Fishing and What Keeps Us Coming Back follows that question from the first spark of interest through the tangled lines, uncertain casts, small victories, and occasional fish that come next.

With warmth, humor, and the perspective of someone who teaches beginners, Mark V Walinske explores the human side of learning to fly fish: finding the nerve to begin, feeling out of place, expecting too much, and discovering reasons to return before you’re particularly good at it.