Do You Count ??

FAOL Community Sound Off
1

I do.

Numbers have always been a part of my life - from the time my aunt took the time to write down simple math problems for me as a young child, through my formal education where math was always my highest aptitude and favorite subject, through my professional life where dealing with numbers as in budgets and workloads and production was a constant, through my retirement years where getting by on a modest income necessitates a sense of economy and thrift.

It carries over into all of my activities, just because it is a part of who I am.

So when I fish, I count. It is real easy when I get skunked. I can usually remember pretty accurately the first five or ten or fifteen fish on a given outing. The higher the number of fish caught, the less accurate my estimate.

I keep a log of all my fishing outings. When I enter the number of fish caught, it is the low end of the guestimated number of fish caught that day. I include the species caught with a comment about which was more prevalent that day, and the size of the fish caught, noting the average size and the largest.

That is just part of who I am. It does serve as a ready reference when I am thinking about where I will fish today or tomorrow, or when someone asks about my experience on a given piece of water.

When someone asks about one of my days out, or about a particular place, I describe my experience in terms of species, number of fish, average size of fish, and largest fish caught. I don’t do it to boast, or be elitist, or be competitive - I do it because that is just part of who I am.

When someone asks me about fishing a given stream or a particular section of a river, I like to describe it in specific / objective terms rather than subjective terms. What is a “good” day fishing for one person may not be a “good” day for another. The information that you have a chance to catch certain species, how many and how big, if that is important to you, is more helpful, I think - especially when talking about places that sometimes entail a full day for the outing, driving a hundred or two hundred or more miles, etc.

Some times people have a negative reaction to my describing my experiences that way. Most people who get to know me better, know it is just part of who I am, and that I am trying to be helpful in my own way.

They also know I don’t care if the number of fish caught on a given day is 0 or 100 or if the size is 6" or 16" or 26". They know that if it isn’t a beautiful and mostly likely a remote place, I won’t fish there, and they get tired of telling me about the places where you can catch large numbers of big fish because they know I don’t like the look or feel of the place.

Just thought I would speak up for those of us who count, to give another perspective about something that some people might interpret as boasting, elitism, or competitiveness.

John

2

I don’t count. I have seen guys who use a clicking thing and click it for each fish caught, or lost, or missed, or rise. Not good enough for some others though. They will keep a small microphone clipped to their left shoulder and record everything that happens, all of it. As for me, I might make notes in a tide log about conditions and whether things went well or not. But, I couldn’t remember exactly how many I got and would probably lie about how many. I knew one guy who said, “I got hammered, just hammered out there today!” I have seen this when I know for sure he did not get a single bite.

3

John,
You should hook up with your local conservation officer. Those numbers you keep could be of benefit to your fish and game bodies. I would think that the numbers, sizes and species information that you are gathering would be a vital part of determining the health of those fisheries.:smiley:

4

Nah, I don’t count. I figure it’s called fishin’, not catchin., and Fishin’s what’s important, not catchin’. However, I would rather catch than not catch, and I do catch my share…usually, not always. I don’t care the size, though I would rather not catch the very small fellers, cause it’s too easy to kill ‘em, and that ain’t what I want to do. I usually release my fish, but occaisonally bring some home for supper. I count like this…No, nothin’ today, …Got some hits, but lost 'em,…got a few,…or when it was really hot…yea, we slayed 'em…ModocDan

5

I’ve fished with my regular fishing partner for 39 years.
He counts… I don’t
Always he asks “How many d’ya git ?”
Within the past few years he must have gotten tired of me answering, “I don’t know…some”
Now it’s “don’t ask, don’t tell”.

When we got serious about fishing the salt it was much more productive to ask;
“What did you learn today?”

If a stranger asks how I did my answer is always; “Oh, I got a couple” No matter if it was 2 or 52.

6

Nope! It’s not important to me anymore whether I catch fish or not. It used to be. It was the only thing that mattered. Later on in life I realized there were a lot more important things than catching. Catching is just a bonus attached to fishing.

7

JC mentioned “the guy with the clickers, hanging on their vests” and I about spit out my morning coffee!
JC, I didn’t know that you ever fished, with Henry Hoffman!?
He’s a dear friend and great fishing buddy of mine, but STILL… it has driven me nuts for 10 years, now, of fishing with him, because EVERY “countable thing” he does when fishing he “clicks off” on the TWO counters he wears.
One, on the right shoulder of his vest. The other one, on the left shoulder.
These are heavily constructed chrome and stainless commercial hand held counters. HOW, he can wear that much weight on his vest all day, amazes me!

EVERY strike, is a “left vest click” and EVERY fish brought to net, is a “right vest click”. When we separate, during the day, and then meet up again later and I’ll ask “So, how’d ya’ do, downstream?” He looks at his counters and answers “Well, 11 hook ups, 9 to the net!”
Then, when I’m beat and would LIKE to head home… he’ll sit on the tailgate of his truck and it’s not at all unusual for him to write in his fishing log for a solid HOUR, at the end of the day, even if we’ve only landed 5 fish between us. EVERY detail, including the time every fish was merely hooked, (whether or not, landed), to fly, distance of cast from where he stood to where the fish hit the fly, to weather, to wind speed…ad infinitum.
WAY, more, info than I care to keep!

I, also, keep a fishing log but NOT that detailed!! Mine’s usually more along the lines of “Had a great day, didn’t fall in like usual, got a few nice 'Cutts”. End of story.

Still, I see nothing, wrong, it what you do as far as counting goes!! Like you mentioned, “you’re not counting for bragging rights” and “you’re not counting to really “prove anything”, it’s just who you are!”.
Keep counting! It’s no one’s business, and certainly, no one has any right to come down on you for it.

8

John,

I can relate to what you are really saying about who you are and why you count and I know that some on here will come down on you for the counting, but, there is a difference when you count the way you described. You are gathering very good info for future use and not counting for bragging rights. I will admit that I count and I have taken slack for it and I try and not let it bother me. I do not count for bragging rights. I count because I just cannot help myself. It is just the way I am. Counting lets me know if I have learned anything that particular day. I do not fish for big fish, I fish for the enjoyment of fishing and for the joy of being with Mother Nuture. I only count the fish that I actually release. SDR’s and LDR’s do not count. I have a counter clipped on my fishing vest. When I get ready to fish, I always reset the counter and the number that was on it from the last fishing trip becomes my goal to equal or better. It is just me and I need that. I have to count! Don’t ask me why, but, I just have to! I count everything. I catch myself counting with everything I do. I don’t even realize that I am counting sometimes! It scares me sometimes. : )
I count how many coils of water hose I remove to wash my truck, I count how many coils are on the vacuum cord when I wrap it up, I count lead wraps on my flies, I count how many vehicles I see on the road that have drivers talking on cell phones as I go to and from work, etc. I just count and that is just the way I am. Is it mental, who knows and further more who cares! I love every minute I am able to fly fish and I count. I can tell you that I have never counted sheep to go to sleep! I can usually go to sleep with no problems. I love everything about fly fishing and I do not have to catch fish to enjoy myself. I just need to be fly fishing. I just need to be tying flies. I just need to be making furled leaders. I just need to be doing something that has something to do with fly fishing. I think counting gives me a challenge. I like a challenge. I like to work on something that everyone says cannot be done and I like counting.

So, I guess, I have to admit that, “I am a counter”

BTW, there are 19 lines to this post…

9

I’m a counter like WarrenP. Count the number of glasses I put in the dishwasher, number of lead wraps on a fly, or hackle turns, or tibbits; the number of thread wraps on a rod I build (I tend to be a “tad” OC!!) … but streamside? Nah. Just the first one and the last.

10

Even though a great day of fishing is not measured by the number of fish I catch; I do count.

I never give out numbers when someone asks; I keep my responses general. Heck in my neck of the woods the question is usually: “gettin’ any?” A simple yes or no is the only response required and who knows what results you are referring to in the affirmative on a slow day? :wink:

I count because I keep a log so the numbers are part of my process. I keep a few Post-It type notes stuck to the back tray lid of my Richardson Box. I jot down info on fish caught and how; sometimes misses and lost fish if it’s a slow day. I also jot down stuff I see like animals, people, or anything worth remembering.

When I get home all of the info gets entered into a journal and detailed fishing log in my computer. I can enter as much detail about conditions or catches as I wish or generalize. I usually make a journal entry recapping the entire trip. I also keep notes on costs like lodging if it’s an overnight trip or food rations to keep from overbuying on subsequent trips.

It is a LOT of work but I enjoy it mainly because many of the details I keep like hatches, water levels, weather, tackle choices, expenditures etc help me on future outings. But I especially love to go back and reread about the details of a past trip and have a few laughs at my own expense or my fishing partners.

Funny thing is I hardly ever look or compare the fish numbers but I enter them anyway.

11

no i dont count, write in a journal etc. tried doing the journal once and got bored.

i just go out and fish and have fun.

12

I count, but it is because I know about how many fish I can take out of some of the ponds.
IIf I am one of those that can’t atke much pressure after I have the number of fish I might go to another pond like this and fish there for a while.

For me it is not bragging, but a way to help keep the ponds in balance.

I have a much fun being out on the pond and being skunked as I do catching a bunch.

Rick

13

i usually count. but thats because when im going after bluegill or crappie, i have to count because if i tell the game warden after bringing in a big ol basket of fish that “Nah i just wasnt counting. i dont pay attention to that kind of thing” he’ll probably laugh in my face and hand me a few hundred dollar ticket.
but when im not catching much and im not at risk of exceeding the legal limit, i usually dont bother counting just because theres no need.

14

I don’t count for two reasons:

A high fish count doesn’t necessarily mean an enjoyable out for me, nor does a low fish count mean I didn’t have a good time.

I’m stupidly superstitious and I fear what may happen if I finish the day with 13 fish, or what happens when hooking/playing/landing fish #13. Bad juju.

15

I’m like John, I count but I count everything! It’s not because I driven to keep score, count coup, or demonstrate that I bigger, better or badder than anybody else, it’s purely compulsive behavior based on what I do. I go deer hunting and I count the shots I’ve heard, the deer, turkeys, squirrels, etc. that I’ve seen. I count fish hooked, fish lost, fish landed, fish refusals, flies used, flies lost, flies tied at the bench, thread wraps, wire wraps, ribbing, number of tail fibers, etc., etc., etc., I count any and everything! Again, not for any particular reason or use… I refer back to the compulsive behavior thing. Yep, it’s weird and serves no real purpose for me because most of the time if somebody asks I tend to generalize 'cause I don’t think the numbers are important to anyone but me.

I must be off as I’m sure I’m missing something I should be counting!:wink:

16

I am a financial consultant and CPA by trade. I deal with numbers all the time. They drive me crazy! Really!!! I find I count all the time. The other day I counted the number of tying thread spools I have. What I should have done was determine the colors I have so I can determine what, if anything, I may need. :???:

17

I’m starting a list of folks I don’t want to play golf with…:rolleyes:

18

Duckster, I’m with you. Seems “counting” in that weird waste of time, called “Golf”, is an all important issues with the “Plaid Trousers Gang”.
The last time I was talked into playing golf, (“A good walk, spoiled”, as a very wise man, once said), I shot an 83.
I was proud of that score, until the people I was playing with, made the snide remark. “Maybe on hole #2, you’ll do better, Paul!”
Haven’t picked up a golf club, since and never will, again.

19

I think that I fall into the category of “half counting.” I only count to five and after that just remember it as a good day. Strange, I know, but true. 8T :slight_smile:

20

gutbomb your not serious about the superstition are you? I’m largely superstitious too and it’s driving me crazy.

AM