Secrets play a significant role in my life. As some readers know, when I’m not immersed in the world of tenkara or working as a communications educator, I perform as a professional magician. From this perspective, I’ve come to understand the power and purpose that secrets hold in our lives.
The best magicians know that true magic lies in preserving the mystery. Once a secret is revealed, an astonishing illusion or impossible moment becomes nothing more than a simple trick. Real magic isn’t in the mechanics of the tricks, it is in the sense of wonder it creates. Yet, once the secret is exposed, the real magic disappears. After years of learning magic there are still magic tricks that I don’t want to know how they are done.
There’s an old saying in the magic community: Magicians are guarding an empty safe. What does that mean? Many tricks have simple explanations, but once they’re revealed, the magic is lost. Instead of awe, the audience is left feeling foolish for having been so easily deceived. A skilled magician cultivates wonder, ensuring the audience never feels tricked, only amazed. Because true magic lives in mystery.
How Does This Relate to Fishing?
As anglers, we guard our favorite fishing spots much like magicians protect their tricks. Once a secret spot becomes widely known, it loses its magic. Increased attention brings more visitors, more fishing pressure, and ultimately, the special quality of the place fades.
While we like to believe we have hidden places all to ourselves, the reality is that someone else, somewhere, likely knows about them too. In that sense, we’re also guarding an empty safe. The good news is that, like magicians, we can agree to keep these places a secret. If we happen to bump into someone at our spot, we can be sure that one—if not both—will nod and say, “Don’t tell anyone about this place.” The real problem arises when too many people discover the same “secret spot.” Once the secret is out, the magic is lost. That’s why we must walk a fine line between cherishing the places we hold dear and deciding which ones we’re willing to share.
How Do You Learn Secrets?
I’m often asked this. After all, a magician isn’t supposed to reveal their secrets. Most magicians share a similar origin story—library books, a magic kit for Christmas, or an uncle who taught them a trick or two. My story includes all of these, but it was books from the public library that truly unlocked the world of magic for me. I believe books and maps are the best starting points for discovering our own secrets, whether in magic or fishing, but the key is to explore. You must get out there and explore beyond the obvious—look for streams feeding into lakes, tucked-away waters that require extra effort to reach.
Just as beginner magic books lay a foundation for aspiring magicians, fishing and guidebooks serve the same purpose for anglers. But at some point, every curious magician or angler seeks deeper knowledge. They find others—at clubs, shops, and over a cup of coffee with a friend.
Next Level Secrets – Magic and Fly Shops
In learning magic, once you’ve mastered the basics, a hunger for deeper knowledge sets in. Every curious magician finds themselves eventually walking into a magic shop. Magic shops are very similar to fly shops. Both settings make their money selling tools of trade and are often quiet places, where people speak in hushed tones as they look over gear and ask questions. If you listen long enough though, you might catch whispers of a secret technique or you might hear someone bombastically talking loudly about a place (or trick in magic) they learned about. With the stealth of an international spy, you make a mental note and when home start your research.
While magic and fly shops are good places to get the basics and the tools, they seldom give away many real secrets… without a price. This leaves us as I mentioned to meet other magicians or anglers. Only after building connection and trust that you won’t blab a secret, you might pick up a secret or two. This is a good place to point out that if someone gives you “their” secret, it is not “yours” to also give out to anyone else.
Next, Next Level of Secrets
As a magician, after spending too much money at the magic shop on things you may never use, you eventually discover the rare, professional-level secrets hidden in self-published books by seasoned magicians. These books go out of print quickly, and classic works by long-passed magicians become highly sought after. Limited editions often lack UPC codes but carry high price tags to deter casual buyers. Ironically, many of these secrets are hidden in plain sight on the internet, creating a love/hate relationship among magicians regarding the accessibility of once exclusive knowledge.
Anglers follow a similar path—spending money at the fly shop before turning to guidebooks for deeper knowledge. Fortunately, these books are more affordable and widely available, but they often speak in generalities rather than specifics. A skilled writer may suggest promising waters but won’t pinpoint exact runs or pools. Some even downplay prime locations, perhaps believing that if you follow their guidance, you’ll stumble upon the true gems yourself.
Not So Secret Societies are Formed
Magicians and anglers both crave community. We seek out others who understand the craft and its secrets. Magic clubs meet regularly, and smaller groups of magicians meet in dimly lit corners of Denny’s to swap stories and share tricks they’re working on. Anglers have similar clubs and fishermen meet up socially too, tying flies and telling stories. While being part of a community is a great thing, I think for anglers the best secrets aren’t found in meetings, but are passed between friends taking a break over a cup of Thermos coffee by the water’s edge.
Who’s Better at Keeping Secrets?
Anglers, I believe, are less tempted than magicians to capitalize on their secrets, largely because the secrets they keep don’t truly belong to them. They aren’t intellectual property. While magicians sell the secrets of tricks they’ve created or props they’ve designed, anglers at most record their hidden spots in a personal notebook. To be honest, I sometimes wish more professional magicians guarded their secrets as well as some anglers do.
Experienced anglers understand that the best places are often those far beyond where the casual fisherman will venture. In tenkara and fixed-line fishing, we seek out waters that suit our styles, smaller streams in tighter spaces, where beautiful fish, though sometimes smaller, thrive. These places may not appeal to western-style anglers, making them feel more like our own special hidden gems. So when it comes to secrets…good for you anglers. Cherish the secrets and enjoy the hunt.
Closing Thoughts About How to Keep and When to Share Secrets
With secrets there is a universal understanding that should be respected. While I am willing to share some of my own secret places I have discovered with certain people, I must trust them to keep those secrets to themselves. These are the places I’ve discovered on my own. And in return I will also tightly guard those places that are shared with me. Before you share a secret spot, consider if a secret place is one that you discovered yourself or if it is someone else’s secret that was shared to you. If it isn’t yours, it isn’t yours to share. By following these simple guidelines for keeping spots secret we are preserving the magic of those spaces. Secrets are important to preserving the integrity of both angling and magic. Approach those secrets like precious gems that you have invested your time to collect.
Dennis Vander Houwen is an early adopter of tenkara, he lives and fishes all over Colorado. For more information on living simply or approaching a richer life with fewer things check out his blog, Tenkara Path, where you can also support his tenkara lifestyle by purchasing one of his amazing, handmade tenkara line spool, fly keepers. Learn more about Tenkara Lifestyles here.
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