It's been years since I last haunted Ladyfisher's home here. LF, I'm glad you are well. I have a bit of time while a friend, Percy Blythe Sydney-Todd, III, writes my blog for me.

So, the question: "Is the fishing ever too easy, so that you either stop fishing for the day or change your method/fly to something more difficult?"

In "A River Never Sleeps" by Roderick L. Haig-Brown, he documents fishing for sea-run cutthroats with his friend Cliff. They soon found the fish too easy to catch with a streamer, so they moved upstream and used dries. They found taking them on Brown Bivisibles was too easy, so they went for smaller patterns. They were still getting fish on nearly every cast so they switched to upstream nymphing, where at least they would occasionally miss a take.

I have had those days when a trout takes a dry when he shouldn't have; I just didn't earn that fish. So, before I limit out in just an hour, when I want to fish for five hours, I decide to spend a lot more time watching the river and sizing up opportunities than casting. I find I learn more on those days.

What is your experience?