Key points

• “Trout don’t live in ugly places.”

• A study into the benefits of fly-fishing on one’s well-being. Copy available.

• Time in nature fosters a connection with self, important in balancing the effects of a busy world.

• Time and activities in nature with others tend to benefit those relationships.

• A connection to something greater than yourself is an important perspective that time in nature can bring you.

• Being there is one thing, but paying active attention is where the gold is.

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This comes as no surprise

In the photo above, I’m taking time out with one of my daughters in a beautiful place here in New Zealand called Kinloch, Queenstown. And as you can probably imagine, in that photo I’m feeling peaceful, calm, amazed and filled with joy.

It’s fair to say that I don’t always feel that way. But I’ve noticed that whenever I’m in Nature - for me, that’s usually in alpine areas, next to rivers and lakes, or even walking through nearby bush reserves - I feel great.

It’s why I like fly fishing. Because as someone once said:

Trout don’t live in ugly places.

In a recent paper published in the New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, Cohen Stewart et al (academic-speak for ‘him and a few other authors’) found that while there’s growing recognition of the positive effects on a person’s health and sense of well-being from spending time in nature, trout fishing, in particular, ticked many boxes.

Their paper, you can get a free copy here, researched the benefits of what they called time in green space (i.e. vegetation) and blue space (i.e. water). When you go fly-fishing, you’re usually walking along lovely farmlands or bush areas and of course, looking for and fishing the waterways. Hence two birds with one stone, as it were.

I can certainly attest to that. As someone who needs their own space from time to time, this a great way to get it. Going out, finding a natural place to spend some time in, and savoring the environment.

You know how that feels, right?

How time in nature helps well-being

The research showed these benefits to a person’s health and sense of well-being:

Connection with Self

In this extremely busy, somewhat turbulent world we live in, it’s easy to lose a clear sense of yourself because, well, frankly there’s too much else vying for your attention. The research participants said going out into nature allowed them to “take a pause, have a breather.”

Spending time away from distractions feels precious, somehow. And many who do so find that solitude tends to help them reflect on themselves in positive ways.

Connection with others

Many people go out into the wilderness alone, which can have its drawbacks. Like falling off a cliff or something! But many others go with friends, colleagues, or family and they report that this time of sharing a common activity, one that’s based in nature, seems to allow everyone to relax and enjoy themselves more. These trips become precious memories that can go on giving for years to come.

In the study, participants reported a profound sense of fulfillment from sharing angling experiences. I can also attest that from sharing time in alpine regions skiing or hiking. Or even just having a simple picnic down by the river with the pooch.

Connection with nature

Nature tends to mean the environment (paths, trees, mountains, etc), wildlife (hawks, fish, wallabies, etc), and water. There’s just something about being in or near these things. They’re not made by humans, there’s nothing artificial about them, and they have a way of reminding you of what I call the natural order of things.

And you notice there is no advertising, no wars, no politicking, no idiot behaviour by others. Nature just seems, well, quite natural. (apart from the odd tsunami or volcanic eruption, of course).

And you and I need that in our lives. Because it draws us into feeling connected to something bigger than ourselves, something mentioned by many in this study and others like it.

It helps you to gain a truer perspective.

Over to you

Whether you do this by yourself or with one or two others, how about enhancing your well-being, not to mention physical health and connections by deliberately spending time in nature again soon?

When you do, don’t just walk head-down to get it done. Slow down, walk slowly, and observe:

• Look at the overall view. Notice how everything just seems to fit together.

• Look at the colours around you. Look at the textures. Run your hands along the tree bark, or river stones, or into the sand at the beach. Feel what it feels like.

• Listen. What can you hear? What kind of sound is it? What’s closer? What’s further away? What appears in your awareness and then fades off again for a while?

And ponder this: Once you’ve left that place, what will it be like back there without you in it? Maybe still, lovely, ongoing.

It’s a strange thing to say. But can you feel a sense of the naturalness of it all? Can you somehow pause from time to time, think back to it again, and draw some sustenance from it?

Go on.

Nature’s calling.

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