I thought I would pose the question as to how others felt about what their favorite type of fishing is. Most either live near freshwater or Saltwater destinations so that may be their ideal choice but what about you? :scratch:
I prefer both but seeing how I spend (60-70 days) in freshwater streams/lakes vs Saltwater destinations (15 days) it’s hard to pass but I can honestly say that once you begin Saltwater fly fishing the bug hits you bad!
Late afternoon hatches on the Madison in the Fall or chasing Tarpon in the Flats…hmmm both sound good to me
I can, and occasionally do, fish both salt and freshwater in the same day.
If I need to choose between on or the other on any given day, is it bluegill or bonito, largemouth bass or spotted bay bass or calico bass, trout or surf perch, carp or croaker? However if there is a good yellowtail bite and I can hitch a ride on someones boat, the salt always wins - almost.
I definitely agree, any water I can wet a line in is always my favorite! I grew up near Salt but spent Summers in the Rockies getting that fix. I think when I live somewhere I love to fish there but anticipate other areas more so due to my limited time there and the different types of fish it can bring -Tarpon, Bones, Permit, Jacks, Roosters, Reds, Snook, Barracudas etc…it’s endless
I love em all. I fish most of the time in fresh water but my son lives down on the Texas coast so I get to fish down there a few times a year. Nothing like hooking a big old Red fish. Or a flounder. I love them best eating you can get. Stuffed with crab YUM! LOL Ron
I fish trout, warm water, and the salt.
I’ve got trout fishing across the street, and at least 10 warmwater ponds within 5 miles. The salt is an hour away.
What I care to fish for, depends on how I feel
Trout fishing is technical and cerebrel; Light rods, long leaders, tiny flys, this hat, that shirt, match the hatch, etc.
Warmwater is relaxing; slow casting, single box of flys, tee shirt, shorts, shoes off, kick back, maybe even a couple of beers.
Saltwater is like doing battle; Heavy rod, big reels, heavy lines, tough gear, pounding surf, big views, big, mean fish (hopefully)
It’s all good, but if I were to pick one it would be the salt. It really gets the blood flowing
When I started fly fishing I fished for trout almost exclusively. Once I got hooked on the salt, trout fishing was never the same again. Here in Connecticut most of the trout fishing is for hatchery stock that often fight like wet dishrags. There are streams here that hold wild trout, but well…I have saltwater flies that are bigger than most of the fish in our wild trout streams!
Salt water flyfishing offers the angler different challenges. Just like a trout fisherman knows the life cycle of insects on his home stream-when they hatch,where in the pool fish feed on diferent stages of bug life,etc,etc, on the salt we live and die by the ebb and flow of the tides and the seasonal patterns of baitfish and gamefish. I have found that trout will often take up station in feeding lanes when a hatch is on, but these places really don’t have the features that trout seek for holding, thus they won’t be found there during non-hatch periods. Same thing on the shore-hit a spot at the wrong stage of the tide and all you will catch is seaweed.
Salt water can produce some absolutely amazing days-in terms of both quality and quantity of fish. It could be completely quiet and then the turn of the tide or the setting of the sun can blow things wide open.
Fishing the salt allows me to spend more time on the water too. I fish at night about 85% of the time so I don’t have to worry about crowds on the water or fishing cutting into family time/other responsibilities. I am often heading off to fish when most folks are heading off to bed! I enjoy night fishing because it really sharpens your senses and I find a sense of solitude on the sea in the dark. By the light of day, the scenery on the shore can be just breathtaking.
I have also never hooked into a freshwater fish that fought like a salt water fish. Another thing that keeps me coming back to the salt is the chance to hook a fish of a lifetime. So far my personal best fish was caught in the salt-an 18# bluefish that measured over 36" long. Fighting this fish was like hooking into a runaway train. After the hookset, I was deep into my backing in mere seconds with my drag cranked down pretty tight. I got several long runs, and at one point I even doubted that I would be able to land the fish. It took over five minutes, but I finally did. Can’t wait to hook into some real speedsters one of these days, or a big cow striper over 30 pounds!
All of the above.
Depending on the weather.
Trout from December through early June
Warm Water from early May through late September
Salt Water from early September through December.
Which ever one I’m doing is my favorite.
My favorite type of fishing is what I’m doing.
The subltle take of the trout, its beauty. The finesse needed to bring in a 20" trout on 7x or 8x. Maybe the rise on a rose red evening.
or
Being on the water, salt air and breeze. Hitting a blitz with fish as big as your leg. Seeing your backing, again with the same fish. The sheer power. Finding that fish, getting the fly to match the bait. Wading in the surf as the sun brings first light with the beautiful yellow/blue color that brings awe and wonder to this world.
hhhmmm, ive fished salt most of my life. cant get enough of it. but if someone wanted to drive several hours to hit a trout stream, guess id have to go, just because its new to me.
Great shots and man that must have been a heckuva fight! Nite fishing is a past time of mine as well, whether hitting the docks at midnight for Snook or chunking mouse patterns at dark to 8lb Brown trout!
For me it would be freshwater chasing trout. I have only had 4 or 5 outings on the saltwater and none of them have been action packed. I am sure a good saltwater trip would sway my opinion.
Unless you are able to spend a significant time on the water, salt water fishing without a guide will probably be like banging your head against a wall repeatedly. Maybe I am way off since I haven’t fished all over the world, but in my opinion, a trout is a trout is a trout, and rivers are all pretty much the same. If you can read a trout stream then you should be able to at least find fish in a new stream in a distant location.
Salt water fishing depends on the tides, so you have to know what tide a particular spot fishes best on. If that doesn’t have you confused enough yet, there is more. Tide tables usually only give the times of the tides for major statations. The spot where you want to fish might have a tide that is several hours different from the closest spot on the tide chart, so you could think you are showing up at the right time only to find a vast expanse of mud. In tidal rivers salt and fresh meet making things even more difficult. Tidal varations are now influenced by the volume of water coming out of the river, and the time of tide and time of current are often different. I can think of one tidal creek that I fish where the current is still moving upstream after the tide begins to drop. Oh, and don’t forget that the moon phases and the wind effect tides too, and hopefully you will be lucky enough to have someone tell you what time of the tide will produce the best fishing.
And don’t forget, fish will be fish. Even if you are at the right place at the right time, doesn’t mean the fish will be there. If you go to a trout stream, you KNOW the fish are there, catching them may be a whole other story. This is why boat anglers have such an advantage in the salt, they can cover a lot of ground and find fish. Often us shore anglers just need to get lucky. I have had several outings where I thought I was in the right place at the right time, only to get skunked and later learn that others were catching fish after fish just a short distance away.
Bob,
That’s an interesting observation about fishing the salt. There have been times that I knew I was where the fish “should” be, but were not. Then I find that others within a stones throw were pulling them out hand over fist. Fortunately it also happened the other way from time to time. Here is how I look at trout vs. salt, talking from a New England perspective.
Matching the hatch is insect related for trout, bait related for Salt. Both are seasonal with different species coming and going throughout the season.
Seams, pools overhangs in a stream is similar to tidal estuaries, structure like boulders, breakwaters and the shape of the shoreline.
Water levels and temps based on rain, run off and time of year are similar to currents and tides.
A 20" trout on 7x is as exciting as a 20lb Striper on an 8 wt. My preference is whatever I can get to.
As for guides, they always help but if you don’t have one ask around and there’s a good chance someone will give you some tips that can help put you on fish. To be quite honest, not being the master I wish I was, if I knew that I’d be fishing and it was foretold that I would not catch a fish I stillwould most likely go out and enjoy it.
for those who MAY misunderstand.
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