Isn't Bobby Brandt a little young to be such an accomplished fly fisherman? Yes. Yes, he is.

Bobby, a 14-year-old Manheim Township Middle School student, excels in a pursuit usually associated with individuals 30 or 40 years his senior. But Bobby is proving that the meticulous sport of flying fishing is something not limited by preconceived notions.

"When I was younger, I thought of fly fishing as something done by people older than me," said Bobby. "I have good eyes. I can move around. I have a lot of patience, and I understand the fish. I love being out in nature. I love the sport. I am dedicated to it."

In the early days of October, Bobby captured a spot on the United States Angling Youth Fly Fishing team. Bobby earned the position through a national competition in Paradise Valley, Mont.

"It was my first fly fishing competition, and I was super excited," said Bobby. "The session in the lake I didn't do super good because I didn't have a lot of experience with it. In the stream, I did much better. It was just really exciting to go against people who were better than me or who had similar skills. I learned a lot from the competition, and I taught some people some stuff too."

"He's a very analytical person," said Bobby's mom, Kathryn Brandt. "Fly fishing fits his personality. He's a very calm kid. Bobby has been an old soul since the day he was born. He's quiet. Life is hard sometimes, and he goes out there and can just melt into nature. I can't really explain why he can do that."

Just as important to Bobby's success on the waterways is his ability to tie his own flies. It requires attention to detail, a steady hand and a specific ability to visualize.

Bobby's only been tying his own flies for six months, but he already counts more than 200 among his collection.

"Sometimes fish aren't super picky about your fly," said Bobby. "How you drift your fly down the current is 80% why they eat it. One reason they don't eat it is the drag on your line. Knowing what fish do can help you catch fish. You have to be super calm in the water. Fish can feel vibrations and they can get spooked, and once they get spooked, it's really hard to catch (them)."

Another thing Bobby's got going for him is experience - and repetition. Despite his youth, Bobby's been fishing for as long as he can remember, thanks in part to support from his parents and grandparents.

"His grandfather would take him on the Conestoga River fishing," said Kathryn. "My parents would take him to Florida and all Bobby wanted to do was go on the ponds and catch fish. Every vacation we've ever been on, we'd always find water."

"Fly fishing is a bit different than gear fishing and spin fishing," said Bobby. "It's more of a challenge. Fish can be spooky, so you have to be far away, and you have to have a good presentation. You have to be watching the whole time out there. If you don't, when fish bite you can miss them."