You know how some people stumble into hobbies? Well, mine grabbed me by the collar and never let go. Hans Bock here - been obsessed with fly fishing since, oh, must be over 40 years now. Crazy how time flies when you're chasing fish! 

These days, I split my time between teaching folks the ropes through HOFF (that's my little operation) and guiding up in Iceland and Greenland every summer with SouthGreenlandFlyFishing. Honestly, I still pinch myself getting paid to do this - tying flies, teaching casting techniques, watching that perfect loop unroll across some remote river...
Speaking of rivers, boy have I dragged my waders around the globe! Started close to home in Europe - Germany, France, those Czech mountain streams that'll take your breath away. Then one day I thought "why not Argentina?" and suddenly I'm waist-deep in Patagonia chasing sea trout big as my leg. New Zealand? Don't get me started on those rainbow trout - like fishing in a postcard! Montana, the Bahamas, British Columbia... actually let's just say if there's fish rising somewhere, I've probably tried to fool 'em with feathers and fur.

Funny thing - never planned to write about fishing. But after a hundred-something magazine articles (lost count around 2015), I guess the stories just needed telling. And that casting instructor certification from the Dutch Fly Fishing Association? Totally worth the sore arms. Even got to represent the Netherlands in the 2008 World Championships - still can't believe they let me play with the big kids in New Zealand!

Here's the thing though - whether you're just learning to tie your first wooly bugger or you can double haul like a champ, what matters is that spark when the line goes tight. That's why I love teaching workshops (done about 300 now, give or take) and guiding trips. Watching someone land their first Arctic char or outsmart a cagey brown trout? Better than catching 'em myself, honestly.

Oh, and if you're wondering what I chase when I'm not teaching - everything from feisty perch in local canals to Atlantic salmon that'll peel line off your reel like it's nothing. Pike that'll scare you silly, sea bass that fight dirty... you name it, I've probably tangled with it.
Dutch is my mother tongue, English comes pretty naturally after all these years on the water with international anglers. Mostly I just speak fish though - and let me tell you, they're great listeners!

At the end of the day, it's all about sharing this ridiculous passion of ours. Nothing fancy - just good company, wild places, and those magic moments when everything comes together. That's the stuff that keeps me tying flies at 2am and waking up before dawn forty years later. Still just as hooked as day one.