Well, with the advent of internet fishing forums and the renewed popularity of river fishing for salmon and steelhead, I thought it might be prudent to tackle this question....
Everyone here wants to fish. Right? Right. Some of us are die hards, people who trully love the sport....some are recreational anglers who get out from time to time, and love the sport, but realistically don't have, or put in, the time that others do...some are lurkers...looking for information on places to fish and better techniques, but really are quite new to the whole thing and, although may have the fishing "bug" so to speak, really are quite inexperienced, and quite naturally looking for a newer better fishing spot. Some here may frequent other fishing websites, like screamingreels, fishbc, sportfishingbc, flyfishbc, fishingwithrod, etc, etc, etc...I only visit two sites regularly, only in instances like these do I do a deeper search... many of those who frequent the many, many fishing forums, are in the category of the recreational angler, with little experience, but enough intelligence to use the internet as a tool to garnish as much information as they can...others are knowledgeable anglers who frequent all the sites they can, making friends, posting, or not posting at all...whatever the mindset you might be in, whatever category, listed above or otherwise, you appreciate fishing. You have been once, twice or a thousand times before and enjoyed it, and become addicted to it the second you experienced what sportfishing had to offer.
What do you do when you sportfish for the day on some river or lake or ocean somewhere and come home reminiscing about the days events? More importantly, what do you do the night before or even a few days before you are going to go fishing? Do you research as much as you can into what spots were fishing well the day before? Do you call friends, local tackle shops, fish hatcheries and such to find out how your spot is doing?
We are creatures of habit. I too, am reminded from time to time how much I am a creature of habit. Recently I realized how much so that might be. I found myself reading various reports on recent coho fishing in BC and noticed a vague reference to another site. I subsequently visited that site through my trusty "google" search engine and began to search for that vague reference. I found myself sidetracked. I began reading through reports just like ours here at BCFR, and I stumbled across one that piqued my interest. A report from a young man described a great day fishing when searching out coho on an obscure creek in the fraser valley...I was so interested in that report that I began looking at all my books and maps...I did internet searches of every relevant search word I could think of...I checked hatchery release numbers on every river and creek I knew, and even some I didn't know...I checked into adult fish returns all over BC...all because a picture that had been posted looked like a familiar spot to me, and I just needed to know where it was this kid had caught his fish.
Now...I know that many of the people that come here and check out this site probably never post and are just looking for info, but of all of you who read this post, be you die hard, lurker, guide, punk, metalhead or preppie...perhaps you could post a quick reply in return letting us know what you do...
How do people here get their information? Do you hear it from family, be it dad or grandpa or grandma or sister...or do you read magazines, and look at maps and do google searches and the rest...? What do you do before you go and explore a new fishing spot? What do you do to protect a spot once you find it?
There are a great many fishermen and women on the net these days...Many frequent sites like these and develop a raport and trust that comes along with familiarity...They post reports, exchange pleasantries with those they think they know, and go about their business...
I used to find out about spots by reading, pulling out a map, going there and hiking. I would take my 4X4 out into the middle of nowhere thinking "there's no river here, god damn it!!!!!", only to turn the next corner and see a beautiful little run with good depth and visibility and think....wow!!!! This place is awesome!!!!
Do I keep it a secret? Do I tell my buddy so he can come with me next time? I am in the midst of putting together a journal of all the fishing spots I have grown to know and love...I have everything from the vedder to obscure tiny little flows where there are only one or two runs worth fishing...the kind of spots where once you fish those select spots, you drive of to the next flow in search of that elusive steelhead or salmon...
I now, for the first time in a few years have a list of 3 new flows I haven't ever visited but would very much like to based on information I've gathered...I will visit these flows, and take my mental notes, and hopefully catch some fish too...but will I share those secret places? Would you? I recently visited a river I haven't fished in over 8 years...I find myself trying to keep that place quiet...is that wrong?
Tell me what you would do. Tell me what you think of this information superhighway we've created. Then tell me what you do to find new fishing spots...cause we're all looking for new fishing spots aren't we? So are the thousands of other people in the lower mainland who aren't as familiar with a back eddy, or riffle or trail or boulder...
Do those of you who do not have the experience fishing in BC, but frequent sites like these looking for the fruits of that experience have the respect and fear some of us feel when we consider how valuable this resource is to us? I'm sure some of you do, and am equally sure some of you do not.
So...what do you do when looking for new fishing spots? How much do you utilize these fishing forums?
Do others respond well to your queries? Do they share information with you? Do they tell you in no uncertain terms to figure it out for yourself? What do you do when you find your new spot? Do you share?
There aren't that many around here anymore, but there are a few...
:wink:
Rib
Everyone here wants to fish. Right? Right. Some of us are die hards, people who trully love the sport....some are recreational anglers who get out from time to time, and love the sport, but realistically don't have, or put in, the time that others do...some are lurkers...looking for information on places to fish and better techniques, but really are quite new to the whole thing and, although may have the fishing "bug" so to speak, really are quite inexperienced, and quite naturally looking for a newer better fishing spot. Some here may frequent other fishing websites, like screamingreels, fishbc, sportfishingbc, flyfishbc, fishingwithrod, etc, etc, etc...I only visit two sites regularly, only in instances like these do I do a deeper search... many of those who frequent the many, many fishing forums, are in the category of the recreational angler, with little experience, but enough intelligence to use the internet as a tool to garnish as much information as they can...others are knowledgeable anglers who frequent all the sites they can, making friends, posting, or not posting at all...whatever the mindset you might be in, whatever category, listed above or otherwise, you appreciate fishing. You have been once, twice or a thousand times before and enjoyed it, and become addicted to it the second you experienced what sportfishing had to offer.
What do you do when you sportfish for the day on some river or lake or ocean somewhere and come home reminiscing about the days events? More importantly, what do you do the night before or even a few days before you are going to go fishing? Do you research as much as you can into what spots were fishing well the day before? Do you call friends, local tackle shops, fish hatcheries and such to find out how your spot is doing?
We are creatures of habit. I too, am reminded from time to time how much I am a creature of habit. Recently I realized how much so that might be. I found myself reading various reports on recent coho fishing in BC and noticed a vague reference to another site. I subsequently visited that site through my trusty "google" search engine and began to search for that vague reference. I found myself sidetracked. I began reading through reports just like ours here at BCFR, and I stumbled across one that piqued my interest. A report from a young man described a great day fishing when searching out coho on an obscure creek in the fraser valley...I was so interested in that report that I began looking at all my books and maps...I did internet searches of every relevant search word I could think of...I checked hatchery release numbers on every river and creek I knew, and even some I didn't know...I checked into adult fish returns all over BC...all because a picture that had been posted looked like a familiar spot to me, and I just needed to know where it was this kid had caught his fish.
Now...I know that many of the people that come here and check out this site probably never post and are just looking for info, but of all of you who read this post, be you die hard, lurker, guide, punk, metalhead or preppie...perhaps you could post a quick reply in return letting us know what you do...
How do people here get their information? Do you hear it from family, be it dad or grandpa or grandma or sister...or do you read magazines, and look at maps and do google searches and the rest...? What do you do before you go and explore a new fishing spot? What do you do to protect a spot once you find it?
There are a great many fishermen and women on the net these days...Many frequent sites like these and develop a raport and trust that comes along with familiarity...They post reports, exchange pleasantries with those they think they know, and go about their business...
I used to find out about spots by reading, pulling out a map, going there and hiking. I would take my 4X4 out into the middle of nowhere thinking "there's no river here, god damn it!!!!!", only to turn the next corner and see a beautiful little run with good depth and visibility and think....wow!!!! This place is awesome!!!!
Do I keep it a secret? Do I tell my buddy so he can come with me next time? I am in the midst of putting together a journal of all the fishing spots I have grown to know and love...I have everything from the vedder to obscure tiny little flows where there are only one or two runs worth fishing...the kind of spots where once you fish those select spots, you drive of to the next flow in search of that elusive steelhead or salmon...
I now, for the first time in a few years have a list of 3 new flows I haven't ever visited but would very much like to based on information I've gathered...I will visit these flows, and take my mental notes, and hopefully catch some fish too...but will I share those secret places? Would you? I recently visited a river I haven't fished in over 8 years...I find myself trying to keep that place quiet...is that wrong?
Tell me what you would do. Tell me what you think of this information superhighway we've created. Then tell me what you do to find new fishing spots...cause we're all looking for new fishing spots aren't we? So are the thousands of other people in the lower mainland who aren't as familiar with a back eddy, or riffle or trail or boulder...
Do those of you who do not have the experience fishing in BC, but frequent sites like these looking for the fruits of that experience have the respect and fear some of us feel when we consider how valuable this resource is to us? I'm sure some of you do, and am equally sure some of you do not.
So...what do you do when looking for new fishing spots? How much do you utilize these fishing forums?
Do others respond well to your queries? Do they share information with you? Do they tell you in no uncertain terms to figure it out for yourself? What do you do when you find your new spot? Do you share?
There aren't that many around here anymore, but there are a few...
:wink:
Rib