At day’s end, when you bump into your fishing buddy along the river, what’s the first thing you ask each other?
“How’d you do out there?” Which, of course, is angler-speak for “how many fish did you catch?”
Now I’d like to tell you that I’ve reached a place with my fishing attitude that “numbers don’t matter.” I’ve even said (and written) things like, “Oh, it was a great day, and I didn’t care if I caught anything or not.” That’s the PC thing to say. But it’s fibbing. And I usually say those things (more angler-speak) when I get skunked. But the truth is, had I been bright enough to catch a dozen trout that day, I surely would have.
From the time we start fishing, most of us are taught that success is measured by numbers. A 20-fish day is usually better than a two-fish day. Granted, one big trout that eats the dry fly might trump everything. When I say I’d trade 20 small trout dredged up on nymphs for the one big brown that eats the grasshopper fly, that’s not an exaggeration.
Still, I wonder if in some cases we don’t collectively put a little too much emphasis on “how many,” rather than just “how.” Not to pick on my guide friends (and I’m as guilty as the next), but do you really need a 100-fish day to prove how good you are? Especially when you’re catching them all by dragging flies through trout-laden runs under a strike indicator? This little gizmo is a godsend to many anglers, and success breeds interest. I get that. But after, say, 20 fish landed, maybe it would be better to say, “Gee, Pete, maybe we should mix things up. Want to work on that cast? Or want to learn how to fish emergers?” And so on.
And fishing tournaments, while most of them are no doubt fantastic platforms to raise money and awareness that ultimately benefit trout, maybe we should think of ways to keep score beyond pounds or inches. That might negate the drive to try to save a few more fish by hooking so many.
How about a tournament judged on style? “Bob’s in the books with 14 brown trout hooked on a woolly bugger, which earned him a 8.5 from the judges. But Susie, on the other hand, caught one 18-inch brown feeding on a back eddy, while using a fiberglass 3-weight rod and a size #20 trico, which dazzled the judges into rewarding her with a perfect 10.”
Well… maybe not.
Having just watched the gymnastics and boxing competitions at the Olympic Games, I think it probably best not to trust any aspect of our beloved sport of fly fishing, even a charity tournament, in the hands of judges.
I’m playing with you, as you can probably tell. But I do think the issue is worth kicking around, since it certainly plays into topics like “the role of the fishing guide” and “catch-and-release.”
I think the more anglers question things like “when enough is enough” and “how you catch fish can be as important as how many,” will benefit the resources.
Like many anglers, I still have a long way to go in that regard.
-Kirk Deeter
By Trap August 22, 2012 - 11:36 am
Henry David Thoreau states “Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.” That being quoted, I agree when I go fishing I want to catch fish, but I also get absorbed in my surroundings and taking pictures or just solving all of life’s little problems. For me it is not the number but the experience. Nothing puts life’s trials and tribulations into perspective for me better than a day on the water.
By Stocking Mountain Lakes, Watch Birds on the Water, Confused Priorities: How Many and How | MidCurrent August 28, 2012 - 6:14 am
[...] Deeter tackles an issue certainly deserving of debate on the Trout Unlimited blog; namely, are we putting too much emphasis on how many fish we catch, [...]
By Kent Klewein August 28, 2012 - 6:45 am
Kirk,
Great post man. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but then again, I always thoroughly enjoy your posts. Dang your good.
I do think it’s important that we explain and remind anglers that fly fishing is all about the big picture, and the greatest thing about fly fishing is that no two days are alike. There’s always surprises, special fish landed, mind blowing rises and my favorite of all, genuine camaraderie. It’s so easy for us all to get tunnel fishing on the water and only pay attention to our rod being bent and the fish we land. If that’s all you focus on in fly fishing, you’ll never be able to fully appreciate this great sport. The good news is, the more you do it and the more fish you catch, the easier it seems like it is to focus on the big picture.
Kent Klewein
By Kent Klewein August 28, 2012 - 6:46 am
meant tunnel vision
By Tim August 28, 2012 - 8:20 am
I completely agree. After my first few years using a five weight and all styles of flies, I’ve settled on a two weight and dries only (and then, only sizes 16 and smaller). This choice yields me quite a few zero-fish days, but I don’t care. I do care more about how I catch them.
By Rory Seiter August 28, 2012 - 5:26 pm
Be careful, some people on this here internet don’t like it when you fish in a different way.
By Kirk Deeter August 29, 2012 - 10:48 am
Thank you all.
By Redwing September 9, 2012 - 9:13 pm
As I don’t get out as much as I would like it is at the fly tying bench and the hours with getting the gear ready and the drive I enjoy and remember the most. I enjoy all or none of the fish I catch. May your lines be tight but if they aren’t enjoy the day. As My Mom always said “take time and smell the roses” I try and always live each trip with mothers great words.
By michael September 10, 2012 - 11:40 am
I am not a numbers guy (except a little). My routine is that I awake at 2:30AM, leave at 3:15, drive 2.5 or so hours to the Deschutes and try and be on the water no later than 6:00AM, as the wisdom is that from 6-10 is when dry flies will work and then shut it down until dusk. I don’t. I kepe fishing right thru trying everything I can – dries in eddy’s, under sharde. Nymphing under indicators and czech style. In the end, I want to catch just enough fish to convince myself that the catches were more than a mere statistical anomoloy- after all, if you are actively fishing for 10-11 hours, one would think that a bare hook would catch 1-2 fish!