Is the fishing ever too easy?

[overmywaders]

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?

[ducksterman]

"
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?"

The simple answer... Yes

[Dave E]

"Is the fishing ever too easy, so that you stop fishing for the day? "

Yes and at times to difficult.....who needs the grief?

D

[Marco]

Wow, great question BUT I have an easy ( for me at least) answer. I find it extremely unlikely that I would ever consider a super productive day astream as one on which the fish were too easy to catch. I would more likely consider that, with my cunning and knowledge' I had overcome the normal difficulties associated with trying to entice the fish to eat my offerings, pat myself on the back, call it a great day and take the high road home.BUT if it ever became REALLY REAL easy, kinda as like you imply, I'd stick pins in my eyes to handicap myself

Mark

[DShock]

If the fishing was too easy, then I'm not complaining because the next trip I might not catch anything.
Also, I might switch to a streamer or attractor to target bigger fish.
Doug

[Bluegill222]

There's a subtle difference between "productive" and "easy" in my mind. A productive day is one in which the fish are there, they are feeding, but it still takes a bit of skill to get them. Easy is when the fish are there, are feeding, and anything you do seems to work as long as the fly actually reaches the fish. While I've never known a day to be too productive, I have on rare occasions found the fishing to be too easy. Spawning bluegill, trout "farms" and other situations where either the quantity of fish or an exploitable instinctive response makes the ish unusually susceptible come to mind. On those days I often find myself moving on to explore new areas or lying back and taking an afternoon nap. Thank goodness those days are extremely rare .

[DG]

Yes, I have encountered situations where it was way too easy to catch fish. To the extent that...

I tried out one of Hatch's pigs, and caught fish on that.

I tried flies in my box to see what they WOULDN'T eat (sometimes to no avail).

I have, after twenty brookies in less than 30 casts, got back in my tube and tried somewhere else.

I have stopped and sat on the bank and watched the people I was fishing with catch all the fish.

I didn't have to lie about how good it was!


Cookie Monster

[Royal Wulff]

RW here,

I'm with DG on this one. My cousin and I got into a school of nice white perch just before dusk one evening on a small lake in Maine. The fishing was so good that we made a deal that we would stop fishing as soon as one of us could cast out and make a normal retrieve without catching a fish. We were there until well after dark. It really turned into pain in the arse.

Later, RW

[MarkKillam]

I have had the fishing be too easy a few times, once last year and twice this year. The second time this year was the funniest (for me at least). I was I wanted to fish a lake along a trail and decided to head down the trail a bit early so I could get my float tube out and have some fun. I saw four other guys fishing from shore (with fly rods) and not catching anything. I get in my tube and wander out a bit into the lake. On my second cast I catch a fish....cool. I had seen the guys fishing from not catch anything so I was happy. Well an hour later I had caught probably 25 cutts between 8-12 inches without even trying. It didn't matter what I tried, letting the fly just sit on the water, slowly stripping it back in, or even skating it, the fish would take my fly. Shoot if I had a sloppy backcast and the fly touched the water, there was a cutt all over it. I didn't change flies (was using a size 18 Griffith's Gnat) but I seriously doubt it would have made a difference. I finally quit when I saw my parents heading down to the lake. Needless to say it was fun, but I do prefer at least a bit of a challenge . As for the guys from shore, they finally caught a few fish, but nowhere near as many or as easily as I was catching fish. Now I am just waiting until next year when the fish have put on a bit more size (plus it should be a real blast with a bamboo rod next go around).

[ducksterman]

OK..."before we can carry on an intelligent conversation we need to define our terms"

What is "too easy"?
...a fish on every cast?...maybe some get bored with a fish every third cast ...a fish no matter how poor my technique?
...a fish no matter what I use?

I don't want to high jack ...I think it MIGHT be an interesting part of the question...