What stage are you at?

[mantis]

Nick Lyons once wrote ; "There are four stages of fly fishing! (1)Catch any trout on a fly , (2) Catch a lot of trout on a fly, (3) Catch big trout on a fly and (4) Catch only the hardest trout on a fly."

Although I have caught a few 'big' fish and a few times, just by chance, cast to a hard or tough to catch trout, and maybe even a couple of times landed one, I do not consider myself stuck in any one category. Sure I would like to have a tremendous day catching a lot of fish once in a while and I may even go to a particular spot where I know a lunker resides but all in all I am still happy to catch any trout whenever I hit the water. If I get 3 or 4 fish it is a banner day and I will spend much of the time visiting or putting others with me in a hot spot. So I guess if I had to chose I would say I am still, after all these years, happy to catch any trout where ever I cast my line.

[This message has been edited by mantis (edited 08 November 2005).]

[Fred Sanford]

These days I'm happy simply to be in places where wild trout are found. They're usually beautiful.

[Bamboozle]

Considering all the 3-4" brookies and browns I caught this year it HAS to be Stage 1.

I'm in all of them. I think those are the four stages of Nick Lyons. Some days I am an the mood to fish dry flies only, some days I want to try for the biggest trout with big streamers.

I'm on stage 5, catch a steelhead on a fly.

-John

[D. Micus]

i'm at "catch any tree with a fly."

[drolfson]

That depends.

One day, I just want to catch some fish, another day, a particular type of fish. (WW lakes for me.) Sometimes, the challenge is to NOT catch a particular type of fish. Like in March and April, trying to not catch Crappie is definately a challenge.

Don

mantis,

I read something very similar elsewhere and heard Joan Wulff say it the way I had previously read it. To wit:

"Fly fishermen go through 4 stages: 1)Catch a lot of trout; 2)Catch the biggest trout; 3)Catch the wariest trout; 4)Just being there."

For whatever reason, you can apply any theory to it (LOL), I've been stuck on stage 4 for about 40 years and have no plans to go in reverse.

Allan

Tyeflies;
Ditto on the 4

------------------
I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!

Cactus AKA "Lucky Dog (Pirate Name)"

[mantis]

Allan,
I have heard the "just being there" added too. But I think as a 5th stage... Borger or the Schweeb in one of their talks.. Be hard to exclude the first step..lol.
We have both had some serious health problems that we have done well with and the "just being there" does get a little priority doesn't it? See you this weekend.