I've been writing this blog for nearly a decade. When I started out I was a kid. I'd still kinda consider myself a kid. If you've been here from the start, you've watched me grow as a fly angler. I'd only been casting a fly rod for two year prior to starting Connecticut Fly Angler and been seriously fishing four years. You've watched me know basically nothing, then think I knew a lot while still basically knowing nothing, and morph into a fairly well rounded and accomplished young angler who can say without a doubt that he has far, far more to learn ahead than he's learned already. You've watched my writing change and improve, yet remain spattered with errors any time it isn't edited. This blog has remained a constant part of my life over the last 10 years while virtually everything else around me changed dramatically.
It's time for a change here too. I feel I've taken this blog in it's current form as far as I can carry it, and honestly I've gotten progressively more and more burnt out. I've poured a ton of time and effort into this blog and it certainly aided in getting me where I am presently as a guide, writer, and career angler. But its just getting too cumbersome for me to try to hold onto a three or four post a week schedule without generating more income from it. I'm also tired of feeling the need to create content from every day I'm out fishing, and some of you have watched this blog shift from near-daily content and often day-of fishing trip reports and stories to delayed and more spread out posts.
From this point onward, I'll be writing only one real post weekly for this blog, to be published on Monday or Thursday. The content will shift away from reporting on my recent trips to fun short stories, technical discussion on fishing strategies and flies, and conservation updates. Guiding updates, class schedule announcements, and other such things will be sprinkled in, probably once a week or so. So, probably, one or two posts a week on this blog for the foreseeable future.
I'll still be doing what this blog currently is, but not here and not as often as I used to. At least two posts a week will go on Patreon, so for a buck a month you can still get pretty much the OG Connecticut Fly Angler. I hope to see some of you hop over there, and to those who already have I can't thank you enough. I'd have quit this long ago were it not for some of you liking it enough to actually pay for it. I still find it hard to believe anyone would; I've always had this crippling impostor syndrome that kept me believing I didn't deserve any credit or attention. I really can't say enough, thank you all for embracing my silly little fishing stories. I've made so many great friends and memories through this journey, and have no doubt I'll only continue to.
So it isn't over, really. Just changing. See you next time, and thanks for hanging around.
Until next time,
Thanks for sharing all that you have! You have opened my eyes to amazing nature in Connecticut and beyond and inspired me to explore it for myself. I also really appreciate the great respect that you show for the natural world.
ReplyDeleteEvolution is good. We have all benefited from your knowledge. You will succeed because of your dedication. Well done Rowan.
ReplyDeleteLove your acknowledgement of your journey of learning. Seems a sensible shift. And the blog will still be fun to see and review and learn from for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for continuing to share some of your knowledge!
Thanks for sharing your experiences and perspectives . I have similar view points regarding native species . Some of the articles you write reconnect me with walking into the forest to fish for wild brook trout as a kid almost 40 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog only a couple months ago, and it's quickly become one of the few I regularly look forward to reading. Glad you're still planning on posting here.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've already got a plan for changing things up, but if you're not sold on Patreon, consider looking into Substack. They've got a pretty good thing going on over there.
Peace,
Bob
Many thanks for everything that you have done with this blog (and that you still plan to do), and especially for the peace and memories of New England nature and things natural that it has brought to someone now living very far from New England.
ReplyDeleteI've read every one of your posts from the beginning. Your unique target and approach continue to be differentiators and your focus on the local and sometimes non glamorous waters are great. The focus on native species is also something that doesn't get nearly enough attention. Keep up the good work.
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