Some Great Advice

[Al Agnew]

I think that trout fishing on wading size streams really calls for this slowing down and feeling for the rhythms of the river. I also find that it's a different but somehow similar thing with floatfishing for smallmouth. It's often a rush to get the canoe to the water, load the gear, tie on lures, and push off. But at that point, especially if I'm alone, I lay the paddle across my knees, close my eyes, take a deep breath, feel the water beneath me, and put myself mentally into the flow.

[flytyer57]

Maybe the fishing below Norfork dam is different, but yesterday I just tied on a black woolybugger and went to fishing. Caught at least 50 fish on the same black bugger from a stretch no more than 50 yards. But then, the Norfork is loaded with stockers. Maybe if I had been somewhere like the Madison, Bighorn, Frying Pan, Yellwostone etc, it might be different. Same goes for Crooked Creek. Tie on a bugger, Clouser or Gurgeler, wade in and start catching fish.

I always pay attention to what's going on in the water when I'm fishing, and notice the water as soon as I arrive, but I don't wait an hour looking for bugs to come off. I guess if the fish aren't biting what I'm offering, then I'll slow down and try to figure out what's going on, but I don't run into that very often. Usually when the water is stained from rain or snowmelt, or the water is cold.

But then, if you want to sit on the bank and watch me catch fish while you try to figure out what's gonna work for you...

[Hopper]

I'm here. Just been taking a sabbatical.

How many people (perhaps even yourself) have you heard say something to the effect of "Man a 3 day weekend barely gives me time to start slowing down so I can fish"?

We've all seen them. They roar into the parking area in a cloud of dust, jump out and start throwing on gear, grab their rod and charge into the water like a Carabou with a Grizzly behind him. After putting every fish within a quarter mile under a rock in abject terror the angler then churns the water to froth with fruitless casts.

My preferred course is to slow down first. A half hour may not be enough and some may just need a few minutes to realign thought processes polluted by 6 months of city stresses. But however long it takes the fisherman will reap great rewards the remainder of his allotted time on the water if he makes the investment up front. By using the time necessary to re-tune his soul with natural rhythms to observe feeding activity and retrain the eyes to spot fish when that first great sigh of well-being and release wells up he is ready for the fray.

It's something of a combination of what Al described but I just think of it as common sense. CC

Holy cr@# I can barely make it through the week let alone six months of city and job stresses before I hit the water again:D

[Terry Beeson]

We've all seen them. They roar into the parking area in a cloud of dust, jump out and start throwing on gear, grab their rod and charge into the water like a Carabou with a Grizzly behind him. After putting every fish within a quarter mile under a rock in abject terror the angler then churns the water to froth with fruitless casts.

Geez Tom... I'm RIGHT HERE... I can HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT ME!!!!

I've said the same thing a lot. Not that I'm the best fisherman in the world, but I RARELY pull up to an access without first walking to the water's edge and taking a few moments to look things over. Well, maybe that's the SECOND thing I do after going to the "little boy's room." Seems to serve me well on two fronts. I'm more ready to fish and I'm more relaxed.

That rush into the parking lot / caribou / grizzly / frothy casts thing is exactly why I quit bass fishin'....

[laker67]

We've all seen them. They roar into the parking area in a cloud of dust, jump out and start throwing on gear, grab their rod and charge into the water like a Carabou with a Grizzly behind him. After putting every fish within a quarter mile under a rock in abject terror the angler then churns the water to froth with fruitless casts.

You just described all of the places that I trout fish.

[Buzz]

Holy cr@# I can barely make it through the week let alone six months of city and job stresses before I hit the water again:D

I know you're better than that Hopper......

[fishinwrench]

It's often a rush to get the canoe to the water, load the gear, tie on lures, and push off. But at that point, especially if I'm alone, I lay the paddle across my knees, close my eyes, take a deep breath, feel the water beneath me, and put myself mentally into the flow.

And the longer you keep your eyes closed the more likely you are to be "into the flow".... in more ways than mentally.

[jjtroutbum]

I am also glad to see you posting on the board again, CC. I had enjoyed your contributions here greatly.

Now to the topic at hand I have in recent years been spending much more time observing than in the past. Getting in the "zone" mentally does add greatly to my enjoyment of the entire experience. Don't know that it has increased the numbers or sizes caught but that has not been nearly as important to me as it used too be. I do however remember the small details of the excursions much more clearly and that has been great.

[Mitch f]

Because I usually have to get in the boat and "run" for a few minutes; it lets me concentrate on what I'm about to accomplish before I make my first cast. I also like to use the "One cigarette rule" my friend always promotes. Just anchor and wait for the time it would take you to smoke a cigarette ( I don't smoke) and just watch and observe. It lets things settle and get back to normal from the jet boat wake.

[drew03cmc]

Tom, good to see you again! I agree, don't rush right in and start fishing, but rather watch the stream, look for flashes of fish as they feed and locate good feeding lanes. Last thing on your mind at first should be fly choice.