[Thrasher]

As I sit and think for a moment, I begin to wonder: "What exactly does a successful day fishing mean to me?"

With our fishing stocks constantly on the slow decline, and increased pressure with more anglers, it is becoming harder and harder to go out and have an absolute banner day, fish quantity wise, like days of old. As days go by, it is easy to sit and think that a successful day on the flows is only based on the numbers of fish one brings to the net or shore. How many times have you gone out and been skunked and still walked away thinking that it was still a successful outing? I am just as guilty as the next guy for being bummed out by the ol' skunkola, but I feel there is more to learning, than just punching the card.

Do you find yourself only feeling satisfied if you get to whack a fish every trip out? In my opinion, being successful on your outings entails challenging yourself to grow and implore new methods and learn how to master them to the point that you can fool a fish into taking your offering. Also, growing can consist of taking yourself to an unknown area and learning how and where the fish hang and why. Understanding the fish and appreciating them in their environment.

There is an overwhelming amount of knowledge in these forums and around the internet, not to mention all the knowledge you can learn while on the river. Are you willing to ask or learn, then apply yourself to grow?

I guess it all comes down to, how much you want to learn about the fish and how to actually "catch" them, along with what fishing means to you.

What does it mean to you?

(mod if this is in the wrong spot, please move) eace:

 

[barbelface]

It's never really been about just catching fish for me, I day out away from all the stresses in life is a successful day in my book, fish or no fish.......

 

[steeliesrking]

A successful day of fishing is made up of a few different elements. The first is just getting out and enjoying the beautiful area we live in. I've got my favorite spot that i'll go to on the Vedder just to see the sunrise. There is just something about that spot that is special to me. The second element for me, is being able to leave the phone at home and just be in the quite. With all the day to day crap that happens at work, it's nice to be able to leave the phone at home and listen to the river. The third element, is not having my truck broken into. That just flat out wrecks the day.
Sure it's great to be able to catch a bunch of fish, but that is just a bonus. If I can go back home, and feel like i'm somewhat rejuvinated, then I know it was a successful day.

 

[chum8888]

I remember a time when I would be upset after a day's fishing because I didn't limit out or it took me longer to limit out than my friends did. Back then there was so much competition to be the top rod amongst our group that sometimes the drive home would be uncomfortable if someone had a bad day. The goal was to look like a hero and be able to brag to everyone how you did. Thankfully, I'm not like that anymore. I fish for the fun and relaxation. I'm a lot more selective about what I keep. I could care less whether I bring a fish home (less work to do when I get home). An enjoyable day for me is being out breathing the fresh air, chatting it up with other anglers, talk about the good old days etc.. of course hooking lots of fish is a bonus. If I come home skunked, I don't get upset. Rather I think about what I could have done or need to do to be more successful next time. Why did I change? After travelling to many parts of the world, I have come to appreciate what we have here and not to take things for granted. People from other parts of the world are amazed when they hear that we have a river like the vedder only an hour away for most, where you have a good chance of catching fish that can run up to 50 pounds.

 

[young gun]

At my age right now, i'm striving to hook fish, ya its fun to be out, but the burning sensation of a fish is what i really like, knowing that i came behind a guy or fished pressured fish and connected is a good feeling. It takes skill to catch fish and to know where to fish for them, and i'm proud that i can do that. :2cents:

 

[stsfisher]

a successful outing to me means getting up, and out on the river before the family gets up and being home before they are ready to do something else for the day. ;D . no really its about the company you have while fishing, or lack of company you have fishing that makes an outing for me. some days i enjoy fishing with a good bunch of guys, to shoot the shit with, and other days i enjoy the peace and quite. in both scenarios it would not matter if fish where involved at all.

 

[steelhead101]

to me a successful day is catching fish but not the catching of the fish...if that makes any sense at all ???
by that statement I mean its not the thrill of having fish on the line (as somebody already said that's a bonus) but rather in the fooling of a fish...especially when its on your own flies :thumbup: I've even been known to change a fly if its too productive and finding another way to fool the fish!


just my :2cents:

cheers :cheers:
101

 

[Giuseppe]

Nice post Thresher :thumbup:

Fishing for me is the combination of several things I always looked for in my life. It is a personal and unique way to connect my self with nature. It is being outdoor, observe nature, try to understand nature, try to fit with it, challenge myselef, my ability to learn and apply my knowledge. All these have nothing to do with the number of fish I take home, and indeed I rarely keep fishes, and release almost everything I catch. Sometimes I don't even cast while enjoying my fishing day.
Since I found this way to relate to nature I would say that for me every day is becoming a good fishing day, no matter if I go to the river or not. If I spend few hours reading and researching about a new technique, visit some stores to buy my new tools, and wait for my next trip to test it, well that is for me already a good fishing day.

:beerchug:

G

 

[Rib]

Great thread Thrasher...

I particularly like this part and it plays a big role for me...especially lately...

...
Do you find yourself only feeling satisfied if you get to whack a fish every trip out? In my opinion, being successful on your outings entails challenging yourself to grow and implore new methods and learn how to master them to the point that you can fool a fish into taking your offering. Also, growing can consist of taking yourself to an unknown area and learning how and where the fish hang and why. Understanding the fish and appreciating them in their environment.

...

I find that part particularly rewarding...well said. I'll try and build on that and describe the rest of what makes a successful day for me...

For myself it is the feeling I get when I am on the river or the lake or the chuck....

It's not solely the thrill of the sport of fishing, hunting fish and catching them.
It's not just peering into the water following the rocks with your eyes as the bottom fades into the depths of a beautifully clear green river. It's not just the fascination at spotting a fish, watching it move as if in slow motion and wondering how many more might be down there. Nor is it just about the camaraderie or the memories, or the wildlife or the little things you notice in the wild that you wouldn't normally see anywhere else...

Although they all contribute to what makes a successful day and thus contribute to my addiction, there's something more that is difficult to describe with words.

It's a surreal, spiritual sense of all is right and that I am where I belong. It starts as soon as I am on the trail and grows and grows with each step that takes me further away from all that is man made. It's a sense that everything is right and the feeling that I can allow myself to get absorbed by what's around me. It's getting lost in the sound of the river, the quiet and natural serenity we find out there. That's what does it for me.

I could hook and land the biggest fish I've ever caught and fight the biggest battle with all the excitement and adrenalin you could imagine, but despite it all, the feelings afterwards are the same as if I had caught nothing...it's the green, it's that quiet hum in the background that resembles silence, but isn't.

I get that every trip for the most part, and that's what keeps bringing me back for more...

I know, it might sound hoaky to some, but that's the way it is for me.

:cheers:

rib

 

[nocoho]

its my zen time.....time to clear my head and leave all the worries behind for a few hours......i am not and never have been a park and fish guy......love to hike the river ecspecially during steelie season, my fav time to fish......cold, quiet, serene,.....i do 80% of my fishing alone by choice and at the same time enjoy the fellowship when fishing with others......catching a fish is the bonus part and i catch more than my share but a day on the river without a fish is better than most days not fishing at all.....there is an addiction with this past time but it is an addiction i have no regrets with falling victim too :cheers:

 

[Crazy Drifter]

Jeez rib I pictured a shoalin monk on a mountain top while I was reading your post. :cheers: I agree with you totally though. As G put it it's is more about getting in sinc with nature. The sound of the water, seeing fish rise, figuring out why they move where they move, what are they thinking, then being able to present a offering to them to entice them. I agree with you chum, it used to be about the limiting out, but in recent years I have noticed it is more about the calming feeling out there , the sights and smells on the river, that I find I enjoy more now, the smell of fresh coffee from the thermos, smoke from a camp fire, the smell of the poplar leaves, freshness of the river as it flows by, one can feel life get lighter just being out there. It is funny how a few hours on the river can make the stress levels drop though. Don't stop to smell the roses, stop to smell the whole plant
Cheers,
Crazy D

 

[bronjuan]

wow, some nice words spoken here!

I'm gonna take it down a notch and make it simple. I love to get out and explore. There's nothing like that anticipation of finding a new fishing hole and getting that first take. I love walking in to the lake or river and seeing TONS of areas that might hold fish. "wow, beauty shoal!" "See those riffles and the drop off?"

Now, all that stuff is great but those days when you're hittin the water hard and your neck and shoulder are aching... cast after cast. All I need to keep going is a bite. I don't even need a fish on. Just that tap. It gets me every time. It's hard to go fishing with people who aren't as passionate about (or persistent?) it as I. I don't know how many times I've said "ok, just one more cast" haha Often I'll go without eating the whole day for that will cut out fishing time.

Another thing I love about fishing, especially when I started tying my own flies... "I took these feathers, thread and hook, found a hole, and managed to fool a fish into thinking it was a meal"

What a great sport.

 

[flyfisherB]

to be out with my buddies trying to "solve the problems of the world" (Note, we usually leave a few for the next trip) is what it is all about ! I don't have to catch a bunch of fish, but it is sure nice to at least hook into a few. Kind of affirms why you are there.

 

[marko]

Great sentiment Thrasher...! It's not so much "whacking a fish but knowing you did something right".
The thing with fishing seams to me , is the more I catch the less I want to kill. Like they say if it were
about the food it would be cheaper to buy it. It gives me a great feeling to bring a fish to hand then
kindly release it in a brief and timely manner.
If you truey love the sport people will have a greater respect and passion towards the resource.

Take care and tight lines.

Marko

 

[slamdunk]

Like most have stated, it is the experience of getting out there and enjoying the wonders of nature, be that quiet solitude, autumn leaves falling into the river, snow lines appearing, smells, sounds and always, the anticipation of the tug!!

While fishing solo has it's rewards, so does fishing with fellow fishermen/women.

One of my best ever experiences was at the November Fish Out two years ago (can't believe it was that long ago!!) at Kilby.

For those of you wondering if you should go to the upcoming fish out, here is the tale of the one two years ago.


http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forum/index.php/topic,1922.135.html

 

[professori]

I love to fish, and it is all the better to fish and catch. But the catching now has to be on my terms. My favorite moment comes when I reach a place on the river, take a good look at the water, decide where a fish should be, and lay a perfect cast ahead of that spot, drift over it and have a healthy, wild trout rise from the wet and engulf my fly. Then I know I am doing what I was meant to do. I truly enjoy fishing alone, and even when I am on the river in the company of my good friends, as soon as my fly hits hits the water, until I raise it into the air again, I am alone. My mother once asked me, "I know you like to go out fishing on your own, but what do you think about when you are out there?" The answer came in a heartbeat. I don't think of anything. It truly is the only time and place where I just "am". It is for me "pure", in every sense of the word.

 

[shook]

Enjoying being out on the water,and taking in everything that we can see,whether it be fish,wildlife,birds or even
other anglers,teaching my two sons,their is more to fishing than catching fish,getting the right gear ready,doing the roe,or picking out spoons,spinners,spin & glos,plugs or flies,we are taking for the trip.Teaching and watching
them read water,listeneing to them why they want to fish here or there,telling me where they think the fish are going to lay,how deep should they set their float depth,not always wanting to fish here or ther just because there
are lots of people fishing that run,or bay.Saying Hey Dad look at that eagle,or heron, or mink.Watching them cast
and sometimes hook a fish and playing and releasing it quickly and properly,or quickly dispatching and bleeding the
fish.Respecting our resource and fishing ethics are something I am proud my boys are learning and make our day
more enjoyable,our friends,and some of their kids are taught the same and it does make for a great day,we are lucky to have such great fishing here in our province.

 

[kssm]

for me, it is just a nice canoe ride on a quiet lake. If i catch a fish its only a bonus. I release probably 9/10 fish caught.

 

[darcycote]

i think i prefer to stillwater fish for the solitude. being out on a lake in the boat or the tube as the sun rises,the mist is just starting to clear,and not a single person to ruin my groove.catching a fish or 2 is just the gravy. they all get released anyway.(unless the wife catches me sneaking out,and puts in her order.)

 

[finaddict]

Its all about figuring it out. The use of the club is the culmination. Whether I am on a river, lake or the big pond, to me its all about figuring it out and getting to the hook up. Everything after that is anticlimatic.

I tried being guided once. Caught lots of big fish, but its just not for me. If I can't work the gear, make the adjustments and change the offering, the catch isn't mind and I don't feel like I have accomplished anything