Enough is enough

[Lkyboots]

After reading about catching a lot of Trout in one day made me do some thinking. I've had some pretty good days Trout fishing that if I'd kept fishing all day I might have caught 100 fish but after a couple of hours all I wanted to do is to sit and light up a nice cigar and enjoy the day. My question to you fellas is you keep fishing all day when your catching that many or say I've had enough.

 

[sgrim]

Depends on the weather, how far I have to drive home, and what work I have waiting for me when I get there. The number of fish caught rarely determines how long I'm on the water.

 

[acesedgley]

Just yesterday I bought my license,got out the kayak and went out to my local lake where I was sure there would be all kinds of fish stacked up in a backwater.
Sure enough they were there and I kept at them for quite awhile with various flies including dries, not counting but losing count if u know what I mean. Knowing that the weather was going to go downhill after that day I kept it up til almost dark and the rain started.
Had my cigar with me the whole time!

 

[redietz]

It's not necessarily about total numbers, but about how easy the fishing is.

I had the experience once of hiking five miles to a remote stream in the Sierras that was loaded with brook trout. I caught fish on literally every cast. It took only about 15 minutes of that to start thinking "this is boring." I then started instead to stop setting the hook; just to make bets with myself about how many times the fly would be hit before a fish hooked itself. (Average was about twice.) I still caught fish on every cast. Within a half hour of arriving, I decided to hike the five miles back to the car. It was far less fun than one would imagine.

OTOH, I've experienced days where I've taken 50+ fish over the course of a six or eight hour day. The difference was that I had to do a bit of work every now and then to keep catching, (like switching flies and moving around as the hatch changed) and it didn't get boring. More importantly, by experimenting, I kept learning new things that might prove useful in times when the fishing it less easy. (For example, one of those days was I learned that fish would take a Renegade during a sulfur hatch, but not during a sulfur spinner fall.)

 

[afishinado]

Lkyboots wrote:
After reading about catching a lot of Trout in one day made me do some thinking. I've had dome pretty good days Trout fishing that if I'd kept fishing all day I might have caught 100 fish but after a couple of hours all I wanted to do is to sit and light up a nice cigar and enjoy the day. My question to you fellas is you keep fishing all day when your catching that many or say I've had enough.

I may join you and smoke a cigar sitting on the bank, but when the fish are really jumping all over something, I often change it up and try new things. Maybe fishing dries if they are all over nymphs or try a really big streamer to see if I can catch a really big fish. I might tie on an experimental fly pattern or move to a different water type and see what going on there. Or maybe even search out a new stream in the area.

 

[FarmerDave]

Do panfish count?

I can't recall ever getting tired of catching trout, but I do recall once quitting after one cast. Wasn't a planned outing, and it only took one cast to catch dinner.

 

[FarmerDave]

I just remembered it once happened while catching flounder in the mouth of the Connecticut River.

It was crazy that day. Eventually we quite fishing so we had time to drink a beer.

 

[just_jon]

When fishing locally, I generally fish a 1/2 day. When I’m staying out of town, I will generally fish all day even if it’s raining.

 

[dryflyguy]

I love catching fish on on dry flies so much, that it honestly never gets old.
Wouldn't really matter if I caught 1, or 100.
If I'm on a stream, and there's still daylight left - I fish.

A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that I still work 40 hours/week.
And my time on the water is limited. So, when I'm out and about, I'm gonna make the most of the opportunity.

I do fish with with many retired guys. And I see them often just quitting after half a day or so. And for them, what the hey? They can likely get right back at them again tomorrow - or whenever they want to.
Just a didn't mind set, I guess

 

[bigslackwater]

I usually find a way to end a good streak like that. I'll be catching fish after fish in one spot, my confidence gets boosted, and I move. Big mistake!! An hour later when I try to return, I find another guy has taken my place. Happens to me all the time but I cant sit still. I'm always on the move.

 

[fayettenamese]

Things that drive me off the water...
1. Wife wants me home at a certain time
2. I've been out so long and ate all my food and I'm starving

 

[Bruno]

We call them "Walk Off " days. Where your ready to walk off for a beer and a burger knowing you crushed them. Get home a little early and surprise the wife.

 

[fritz]

Well, I don’t count too well but I know I’ve never had a 100 fish day. However it’s pretty hard for me to say enough when it’s good. Years ago when we lived upstate I was on the Loyalsock at Sandy Bottom for the late afternoon/evening early June. No cell service there. The catching wasn’t so great but there was a good spinner fall and lots of activity. I fished til maybe 9:30 or so. Til I walked out, derobed and drove home it was eleven or so. Wife was po’d. When she started talking to me a few days later she said she was scared something happened to me. I felt pretty bad....I think. Said she would never worry again (she doesn’t get it)

Few years ago I was on the Breeches using an old sulphur nymph pattern. They wouldn’t stay off it. When I walked out in the dark a woman was walking in with a flashlight. It was the landowner who I did not know looking for me. She saw me go in but not come out. She was worried about me. Geez. Told my wife about that. She said I should be ashamed of myself (she’s disgusted with me but starting to get it).

Last year I was on a wild brown stream throwing buggers. Didn’t matter how I presented them they just ate. Six hours after crawling over dead falls and sneaking up to pools I took a break. At my age things start to hurt after a bit but most times I can’t stop. Texted my wife and said “please make them stop eating so I can quit”
She texts me back “you’re FOS” (now she gets it).

Some days I’m content to just lolygag for a bit but when it’s on enough is usually not in my thought process.

 

[steveo]

When I tell my wife I'm going fishing for only half the day she now knows that means 12 hours.

 

[rrt]

1. I'm generally good for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours on the water, unless something special is going on.

2. I like to end an evening of fishing if I catch a big one, a good way to end an outing.

3. If you get into trouble with your wife, try this: Give yourself an extra hour or two from the time you think you'll be home when telling your wife when you'll be home. For instance, if you think you'll get home at 9:00, tell her you'll be home by 11:00. That way if you get home at 10:00, you won't be late in her mind. I learned to do this a long time ago, and I haven't gotten into much trouble over fishing since then.

 

[Lkyboots]

My wife used get mad if I fished all day, now she's mad if I don't.lol

 

[NewSal]

The high catch rate days are usually the most exciting, but not necisarily my favorite days.

Fishing is like a puzzle, the fun part is using your head to put the puzzle together, once its finished it still may be a nice image, but the work is done. If you just wanted a nice image you would just buy a painting, the actual work of figuring it out is what makes it special.

To me the super high catch rate days are like a finished puzzle, nothing to figure out, nothing new to try, just cast and catch. Its fun, but to me the best part was leading up to the catching, the figuring out what/how/where to fish.

 

[SmoothOperator]

Never had a 100 fish day......Hell not even a 50 .... I usually start at 7 or 8am., And done by noon or 1 pm. Max. If I'm out west fishing or somewhere like Penns for a few days ," I'll be back " at 6 or 7 pm. ,And fish till about 10pm........If I'm at a home stream ( slippery rock, neshanook or oil creek)it's either 4 hrs. In Am. Or come after work and fish 6pm. Till dark

 

[JackM]

10 or so years ago, I would leave the house before sunup to arrive just when the *** cracked and fish until the sun went down and darkness fell. No water, no food. Never caught more than round about 30, even on a brookie stream. But I could not leave the stream on a dry streak, and if I had to do so because of darkness, I would be sour for days after. Now that I'm divorced, a couple hours by my lonesome on the stream seems sufficient.

 

[deaddriftx]

I fish from sun up until sun down regardless if I am catching fish or not.