A Good Day Fishing?

[faded]

wow thanks for the feedback..Nice imagery Al....It is different things for different folks..river vs lake...alone vs with a group...and that's what makes it interesting....thanks for sharing your perspectives

[Clay Goforth]

I think for me it could be any combination of things. I have had trips where we only caught 4 fish but one weighed 10lbs so that is a great great day. I have had other days where we have caught 50 fish, all dinks, but they all came within an hour of fishing and that is a good day. I have had days where I have only caught 3 or 4 fish but got to see an eagle come down and pick a trout of the top of the water, or saw a huge beaver, or a fox, or a flock of turkeys on the river bank and those were all great days. It might be better to give you an example of a bad day. In my office

[FishinCricket]

The deep seated feeling of adventure when setting off on an uncharted (or uncharted by me) course...

The rush of adrenaline when one strikes just where you thought it would, or even better.. Those days when you are soooo zoned in that you can't miss.. Every cast you make gets a hit, every hole is an untapped opportunity for entertainment.

Not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog...

The look in a childs eyes when they realize what you meant by "true conservation" as you release that 6 lb largemouth you just caught and explain to them that you do this, not only for you, but mainly for them and their children and grandchildren...

The cool, crisp morning air flowing off of the spring causeing a deep fog as it makes contact with the cold spring water while trout swim among the algae at your feet.. Litle crawdads zip out from under your waders and little water bugs skitter accross the top, weary of the dark shadows beneath.. It's not just the moment, it's the perfect moment that I know will still be there years from now..

As I write this little goose bumps are crawling across my arm and a smile spreads across my face, no doubt due to the specific moments I am recalling..

Here's an example of a perfect moment for me..

I hiked the Niangua from Ho-Humm to Prosperine all alone one year... The morning was wonderful, I remember catching fish till I was blue in the face.. But here's what I remember most about that day...

It was later in the afternoon when I sat down just upstream from Prosperine. The sun was at the perfect angle behind me and the water was crystal clear. As I sat contemplating the river and surrounding nature, I became aware of a dark mass moving in the still water in front of me.. I turn to see a 6-10 lb brown trout swimming along lazily between the rocks and boulders in about 6 feet of water.. Just as I went to go stand up and fish for this monster, something he did struck me... He floated up to a boulder and puffed under it.. Just then three or four crawdads came out from under it.. He raced around to the other side of the boulder and grabbed one.. Then proceeded on to the next rock and repeated the process.. This one vision took my by such suprise that I didn't even toss a hook into the water and attempt to catch him.. He was magnificent! I followed him downstream (feebly attempting to tie on an imitation crawdad while watching his every move) until he saw me and ran for deep water..

As long as I live I will never forget how neat it was to watch a Monster Brownie forage for crawdads...

This is what keeps me fishing... This and a million other stories like it...

[faded]

more great responses...Thanks again to those who have shared...looks like more than a couple of people have taken a peek at this simple little thread...maybe it will keep bringing insight...

[faded]

Have been reading RSBreth's blog from here and his All Ozarks Fishing blog.....WOW....I am hooked interesting reads...Nice video links and this thread stuck in his mind enough to carry over to his other blog I am honored...RS I may be similar to those in your 7/7 blog minus the John boat I barely know jack but I'm trying.....Keep posting and I'll keep reading...

CadillaCricket...I only get to fish the Niangua a couple of times a year but you paint a vivid picture that make me wish it was more

I guess the real reason I started this thread in the first place was to try and peer inside a variety of different mindsets and see other perspectives...There is a wealth of information on this forum and I am glad to have the chance to attempt to take some of it in....the other reason I started it was to attempt to make others pause for a moment and reflect.....( shared or not I hope a few have THOUGHT about fishing....) Maybe I think about fishing so much because I don't catch that many fish