Am I GOOFY?

[Byron haugh]

Here is a video clip of Bob Jacklin catching "the fish of his lifetime". He is now nearly 70. This video was several years ago.
He has been a guide for over 40 years and seen pretty much everything and fished more than most anybody around.
Yet, if you watch this short video, he gets as excited as a little kid. I have seen the fish mounted in his shop in W. Yellowstone. He told me this summer that the video crew had been taping for nearly a half hour and he had not gotten a single strike until this one took a tiny caddis pupa (as I recall him telling me).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Z_G1skm6A

[desertman]

As I stated in another post "I have no desire to fish tropical (big fish). Two years ago I caught my biggest and smallest fish in the same month. A 3" Brookie in a small creek, a 23" rainbow while fishing for trout/bluegill with a four weight rod. I was just thrilled both times.
Glad to see that there are like minded people out there.

[Byron haugh]

Duck,
Jacklin wasn't necessarily fishing for big fish on the Madison that day. But, he happened to hook the fish of a lifetime and was as excited as a little boy once more.

[Gigmaster]

If you have to ask.......

[DG]

The problem with catching the fish of a lifetime is...what do you do tomorrow?

If the point of all this isn't having fun (and what defines that is up to YOU), why bother?

As for being goofy, aint none of us normal. Except for me.

[Byron haugh]

Bob Jacklin fishes every chance he gets when not guiding, and he will be 70 this month. There's always another "fish of a lifetime" out there that beckons one back to the stream.

The point is: it's not an "either/or" proposition. Fishing is fun whether you catch big fish, or little fish, or no fish. But, there is something a little extra special about hooking a really big fish.......

[Marco]

I have to add that like Mr. Jacklin ( heretofore unknown to me) ,if I hooked into a 23" trout in my normal fishery, I would be equally elated and would certainly NOT cut the line in order to maintain my 22" statement. I merely state that if there came about an opportunity for me to travel to a fishery , even for nada, that contained 50" trout and THAT was the purpose of the trip, I could easily pass,. Therefore , onaccounta my "longer arms" statement, AM I GOOFY?

Mark
PS: Also, unlike Mr. Jacklin, had I been the "lucky" one, THAT fish would certainly have been released and my arms, such as they are, would certainly be able to "describe" it's size more "accurately"

Mark

[Byron haugh]

Merry Christmas!

PS. Why Wyoming?

[FishnDave]

My thoughts align similarly with WarrenP and James Smith.
I don't need to catch BIG fish to have fun. Just last week I had plenty of fun going to a local pond to catch 5"-6" crappies.
Big fish are special, no doubt. Whether fishing for them or not, when you catch one, its an adrenaline rush. Who doesn't like that?

I have plenty of good memories from this past fishing season. Some memories were of big fish and epic battles, some were beautiful little sunfish, some were fish that managed to get away. They all put a smile on my face.

[Byron haugh]

Fish dave,
Agree. Like I said, it's not an "either/or" proposition. You can have fun fishing and catching no fish, small fish, or big fish. But, there is certainly nothing wrong - or to be avoided- about catching big fish. They can magnify the experience!