Just had an enjoyable weekend that included fishing with a friend in a cold tailwater. He is a master fisherman; we each had only one strike in three hours of fishing (so I didn’t feel so bad). It was great on the drive out to talk about fishing and lots of other things, and on the way back we stopped at a great place to eat. A perfect day!
There have been many other days this summer when I have gone out on my own, especially exploring new places in the heat of the day when there probably won’t be fish around (but there will be, come Fall and Spring). Or when I am able to get out and catch some brook trout and be the only angler within miles. Great days!
So I have concluded one of the great things about this sport is its social aspect, as well as "calling" us at times of solitude.
What do you think? What proportion of angling is spent social vs. solitary?
I prefer the solitary aspect of the sport wherein I can recharge myself from all the contact with folks in my other life. I am not antisocial. I just prefer to fish alone. This does not preclude fishing with others.
Funny you should bring this topic up as it is very near and dear to my heart. I have a VERY strict policy in this regard. I ONLY fish when I’m alone or when I’m with somebody. I also apply this policy to the consumption of adult beverages. And I DO NOT WAVER…much.
I have been fly fishing for a bit over
2 yrs. So I certainly qualify as a learner
also. I have encountered other fly fishermen
once in a while and have discovered many
want to be left alone. If a fisherman, who
knows you are walking by does not look around
and ignores you I take it as a que to leave
him or her alone. But, if they say “hi” or
something, I will respond and depending
on how things develope may talk, then leave
them be.
99% of the time I fish alone. Solitude
is nice, but if a person has health issues
or if you get into trouble, having a “buddy”
somewhere around would be a help. I tell my
wife, “if I drop dead in the woods, so what.
At least I will die happy.” I just make
sure I am extra careful. I let someone know
where I am going. A cell phone is nice for
emergencies, if it works in the terrain your in. I tell the wife, "if I am not back by
sundown come looking for me.
I find it hard to find people to fish with.
So, I file a “flight plan”.
while i love the social aspects of the sport–chatting on the trail or streamside with strangers, sharing a hold with a friend(or a stranger ),friendly competitions, etc., i actually prefer to fish alone. fishing alone allows me to move at my own pace, work the waters the way i want to, and generally removes any feelings of obligation to “entertain” or “guide” a friend when all i want to do is really fish. it helps me t not try and ensure the other person’s enjoyment. i only have to worry about my own satisfaction.
It took me a long time to understand. As a kid My dad would say lets go fishing tomarrow… DON’T TELL ANYONE.
He and his brothers owned a sporting goods store in MT. If it was known that we were going fishing someone (usualy a good customer) would want to go along. At that time all of the brothers and my grand dad work 6 days a week, the store was closed on Sunday. He is not anti- social, but like all of us he needed to recharge. he still fishes alone most of the time (he is 84) and he fishes 60 or 70 days a year. My wife is a social butterfly and wants to take everyone. So I tell her "let’s go fishing tomarrow, DON’T TELL ANY ONE!
Yup, alone together is the way my spice and I fish. We carpool, chat on the walkie from time to time and have a post fishing meal/beer/debrief. Once in a while one may yield the “best” spot to the other.
He did see me the day he and I and one other guy were fishing a 25 mile river. This guy, a stranger to both of us decided that with 25 miles to choose from, he had to step into the tail of a small pool where I was fishing. Now if he’d said hello, introduced himself or asked if I minded if he stepped in, I probably would have given him the keys to the kingdom, but sheesh! Honey and I laughed later after not seeing a single soul elsewhere on the river.
I was catching fish and after my initial irritation, paid the quick stepper no mind. My spouse saw the whole thing and came right up to me and I told him to try his luck right there. He proceeded to catch 'em right and left until the other guy, rather perplexed, approached and asked what he was using. My sweet gave him the “secret” scud and headed down river behind me. Poor fella couldn’t make it work for him, though. Must have been one of my curses.
By nature I’m a solitary person. I dont talk unless spoken too, for the most part keep my ideas and opinions to myself. If I happen to pass by someone fishing I will keep quiet and stay out of their way unless they say hi, I will retern their greeting but thats about it. So fishing by myself is an activity like all my others, solitary. I prefer it that way though, my own schedule my own pace and more fishing with less bs. Plus I dont know anyone else that shares the same passion for FFing like I do who I’d like to take with me. So if I did take someone the day would be spent teaching and not fishing.
Although I prefer to fish alone, The photo above was of an incident in Y’Stone when I wished I had someone to share my fear. Changing shorts was one of the necessary post incident actions.
I startled this bear while he was napping on a warm boulder overlooking the stream I was wading. Thankfully he had apparently already ate another tourist and saw no point in eating again soon after. In any case, he got up and ran like hell. WHEW!!
I did have a pepper spray about the size of a small fire extinguisher but IT WAS IN THE CAR. The photo shows his backside but it could have been worse.
thank goodness he was not acclimated to humans. were beginning to run into problems around here, in the mammoth lakes basin, mostly, where bears have learned to associate fisherpersons with an easy meal. theyve started chasing guys and gals for their stringers.
they havent turned “maneater” yet, but i havent met anyone willing to fight for a stringer of fish, yet, either. one things for sure…peak summer seeason, i no longer fish the lakes basin. great fishing, but not worth a jog with a bear.
Everyone dies. Only the lucky ever truly Live. Take your time.
I miss having my Bro in-law to go fishing with,But we’d always split up once we got to whatever waters we went to.Mostly it was the banter between us on the drives,Some pretty long. We did carry FRS Radios…which was really kewl,Cause if one of us noticed that the other was’nt hookin up.
All it took was the push of a button to give the propper suggestion of fly or maybe just a little advice on a stripping tech. that was working at the moment…I got him started out as a Fly fling’er,we taught eachother alot…He’s the reason I got so deep into the whole deal…I tied all our flies for a while till he struck out on his own in that…He got me building rods…Nice trade off…
“I’ve often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before” A.K.Best
“Wish ya great fishing”
Bill
[This message has been edited by billknepp (edited 26 July 2005).]
[This message has been edited by billknepp (edited 26 July 2005).]
