The Millstream Fly-Fishing Personality Test: Which Angler Are You?

Spend enough time around a Millstream dam and you start to notice something.

Fly-fishers have types.

There are the serious ones.

The optimistic ones.

The ones who arrive with enough equipment to open a small tackle shop.

And, of course, the ones who catch absolutely nothing but still have a detailed explanation for why.

So, which Millstream angler are you?

The “First Cast Before Breakfast” Angler

You know who you are.

While everyone else is still deciding whether to get out of bed, you’ve already checked the weather, inspected the water and made your way down to the dam.

Coffee is optional.

Fishing is not.

By the time everyone else appears for breakfast, you’ve already been out for two hours and are slightly offended nobody asked how the fishing was.

Don’t worry. You’ll tell them anyway.

The Tackle Shop

This person has everything.

Extra leaders. Extra tippet. Floatant. Sinkant. Clippers. Forceps. Three fly boxes.

Spare sunglasses. Something called an “emergency fly box”, although nobody is entirely sure what constitutes a fly-fishing emergency.

Ask them for anything and the answer is usually: “Hang on, I’ve got one.”

Their fishing bag weighs approximately the same as their weekend luggage.

The “Just One More Cast” Angler

Possibly the least trustworthy person at Millstream.

They said they’d be back at the cottage at 5.

At 5:15, they’re still fishing.

At 5:30, someone sends a WhatsApp.

At 5:45, the braai has been lit without them.

Their defence?

“I was literally about to leave.”

They weren’t.

The Fly Scientist

Choosing a fly is not a casual decision.

There will be an inspection of the water.

A discussion about the wind.

A thoughtful look at the sky.

Possibly some crouching near the bank to inspect what’s moving around.

Then a fly is selected with the seriousness of someone defusing a bomb.

Three casts later?

They change it.

The Competitive One

They’ll tell you they’re “just happy to be out here”.

Do not believe them.

They know exactly how many fish everyone has caught.

They know who caught the biggest one.

They know what dam it came from.

And if you happen to catch more than they do, expect several questions about exactly what fly you were using.

This information will be stored for future reference.

The Photographer

Catching the trout is only half the job.

Now we need the photo.

Hold it up.

No, slightly higher.

Turn towards the light.

Wait.

Do that again.

By the end of the process, there are 14 photographs of the same trout and at least one person asking whether we can please release the fish now.

A good photo is important.

Good fish handling is more important.

Wet your hands before handling a trout, support it properly, keep its time out of the water to a minimum and have the camera ready before lifting it for the photograph.

Then let your catch swim off to ruin somebody else’s afternoon.

The Excuse Department

No fish today?

There will be a reason.

Too windy.

Not enough wind.

Too warm.

Too cold.

Wrong fly.

Wrong dam.

Wrong time.

Someone walked past.

A bird flew over.

Mercury might be in retrograde.

Anything except: “I didn’t catch anything today.”

Interestingly, when this person catches a good trout, conditions were apparently perfect and it was entirely down to skill.

The Beginner Who Catches the Biggest Fish

Every fishing group fears this person.

They’ve never fly-fished before.

They don’t know the names of any flies.

Their casting technique is questionable.

They borrowed someone else’s rod.

And then...

They catch the best trout of the weekend.

Meanwhile, the person who has been fly-fishing for 25 years is standing 30 metres away reconsidering every decision they have ever made.

Welcome to fly-fishing.

And Then There’s the Non-Angler

They came along for the weekend.

They watched everyone spend 40 minutes discussing flies.

They nodded politely.

Then they made themselves a coffee, picked up their book and found a sunny spot outside the cottage.

Four hours later, the anglers return.

The non-angler has had an excellent day.

Arguably the best day.

Whatever Type You Are, There’s a Dam Waiting

Fly-fishing has always been a big part of the Millstream experience, but half the fun is everything surrounding it.

The early starts.

The friendly competition.

The stories back at the cottage.

The fish that gets slightly bigger every time the story is told.

And the inevitable promise that tomorrow morning, you’re definitely getting up early.

Whether you’re the serious angler, the beginner, the photographer or the person waiting back at the cottage with a glass of wine, there’s room for all of you at Millstream.

The only question is: Which one are you?