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Community Member Spotlight

Mike Eicker

AZ Fly Shop is YOUR community fly shop. We exist for the fly fishing community, and because of the fly fishing community. This fly shop wouldn’t exist if the Arizona fly fishing community didn’t support the fly shop. The great atmosphere in the shop wouldn’t exist without great community members that help create a friendly, helpful and connected community. This months community member spotlight is a great example of what our community looks like. He has attended every event we have ever had, he is always cheerful and always looking for ways to contribute to the community. He has a word of encouragement for everyone he meets and he loves being connected to the community. Mike, thank you for being who you are in the world. You make a positive difference in the lives of others. You are a gift to the world and our fly fishing community is lucky to have you as a member.
-Chris Rich, AZ Fly Shop Founder

What does fly fishing mean to you? What about fly fishing offers you most satisfaction?

Fly fishing is the closest you can get to be even keel with nature. It’s rough to describe but it is a very spiritual sport that you practice for and you want to be automatic and be one with nature.

What does having AZ Fly Shop in the community mean to you? What do you like about AZ Fly Shop?

Chris of course! Haha To have a place for people to come together. As our world has continued to convert to online in meetings and shopping it is a gift to have a place that we can connect in person. Through the community created by AZ Fly Shop I was able to connect with the ladies from casting for recovery and it gave me the opportunity to help at the retreat this past summer.

Tell us your most memorable fly fishing story

Most recently seeing my wife and kids catch trout on a fly rod in Utah. Fly Fishing has always been a way of getting away from stress and being able to share that with my family was a gift. Getting to stand in a cold stream together getting to all be together and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Is there any advice you would share with the fly fishing community?

The most important thing is to see what is happening around you and be part of it. Think about where you are before you cast. Enjoy and watch nature.
“I think I flyfish, in part, because it’s an anti-social, bohemian activity that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture without actually landing you in an institution. It’s a nice position. No one considers you to be dangerous, but very little is expected of you.”
– John Gierach

Is there anything else you would like to share with the community?

It can be intimidating to start fly fishing. The ladies from Casting for Recovery didn’t expect to love fly fishing, they wanted to share stories and be together. They all left with fly fishing set ups and a new passion for being on the water.

Be open minded and go with the flow.

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