To count or not to count- that is the question.

Acristickid

Acristickid

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Sometimes I find this annoying when fishing- fish counting.

I know how many I catch if it is a very slow day- say 3 fish in a 8 hour day or if I just fish for a hour or something. Honestly- if I catch more than 5 and miss a few sometimes I completely lose track.

Some buddies I fish with never count and some keep a running total and like to report to me exactly how many the landed and how many they hooked into when we reunite after fishing apart for a while.

This is important to them and are not afraid to voice there disatification with the whole outing. Sometimes I don't think they even see the mountains around them- "I did'nt come here to sightsee."

Some buddies whine- this stinks here "Let's move." When I am just settling in and am quite content just to stay.

Don't get me wrong I want to catch fish but I don't go crazy over it. I certainly don't want to come in last place most of the time. Sometimes I just want to fish to a certain fish or a certain way-maybe my mood or flybox dictates that.

What are your thoughts on fish counting?
Does this effect your outing?
Do you ever move spots?
How quickly does it take you to decide this?
 
I usually don't count, but of course I have sense for how many fish I caught. Once in a while, I wake up early and try to be on the best water at the perfect time and see how many I can catch, counting carefully
 
What are your thoughts on fish counting?
Does this effect your outing?
Do you ever move spots?
How quickly does it take you to decide this?

1. I'm a counter. I do sometimes lose track on a good day when there's no feeling of competition at all. But then I generally estimate at the end of the day anyway. I think its cause I'm competitive. Either friendly competitive between friends or family, or often competitive against myself (a previous outing or whatever). Opening day, with my brother and dad, is always the most competitive day. There's usually a case of beer or a bottle of Jack riding on it.

2. Not really. I guess it makes good days more enjoyable when you know how it stands against the "average" day, but I still enjoy the bad days.

3. Yes. Lookin for that optimal combination of good surroundings, lots of fish, and less people.

4. Depends on the day, my mood, etc. But with maybe the exception of Erie steel, I'm a mover, and can't bring myself to fish one place to oblivion. Even if I'm not moving distances, I'll go back and forth over the same area. Thats just the way I'm more comfortable fishing.
 
I'm a counter.... don't stone me.

Being an "advanced beginner" I think most people find success in how many fish they catch when they start out. It's all part of the "progression" like in the other thread. I'm def one to stop and smell the roses though and enjoy the surroundings, but you have to catch fish when you start out to enjoy the sport, and the more fish you catch the more "enjoyable" it is at first. I think the farther you get into the sport, the catching isn't as important, because you are a better fisherman and usually plan on catching fish, and you appreciate the small nuances of the sport besides the actual catching. Once I have a day in which I catch so many fish that I can't count them, then maybe I'll advance to a "non-counting" fisherman. I've never had one of those banner days so maybe that's why I continue to count.


Ryan
 
I don't consciously count. I usually know how many it was if it's under ten or so, but I'd be just as happy if I didn't.

Regardless, I know slow fishing when I see it, and I will move to look for greener pastures.
 
I like to keep track when I'm using 2 nymphs. I try to notice if one is working better than the other, if I get more on the top or bottom fly, stuff like that.

I don't count to gauge if its a good day or not, more like I'm trying to figure out a puzzle. Keeping count with each fly so I have a better idea of what to use next time.
 
I'm like you...I always lose count. A year or so ago I decided to try and document my trips by taking one picture of each fish to "verify" my catches. well, I'd end up getting a bad picture of a nice fish so I'd have to take 2 of one fish. Or I'd forget my camera. Or the battery would die... While I still like to take pictures for my own use, I found that my guestimations were usually close enough to truth. I found I would rather have a good picture than a crappy one for "posterity's sake". I found I like to qualify the day as being successful or not, but I don't need an accurate number to do that. So I guess I do count, but not religiously.
 
I usually have a good idea how many I've caught, but I don't count. If I catch 8 in a day, I probably lost count at 4 and if you asked how many, I'd tell you 9-11. If I caught 9-11, I lost count at 3 or 4 and will probably tell you I caught 7 or 8.

If I have a day that I catch more than 13, then, beginning this year, I am just going to report that I caught 100, though for fun I may claim 99 so that all eyes will be on me to watch me break 100.
 
I lose count after 3.

What really get my goat are guys that text pictures to me of great rivers in MT and the fish taken on them.
 
I am a counter. I don't really know why, but I have always tried to keep track of how many fish I catch on a day. I used to keep a running yearly tally, too, but I have pretty well broken that habit.
I don't think counting's such a bad thing, unless you let it determine whether an outing has been a good one or not. For example, some places where I land 20 trout during an outing is not a great day. There are other spots where if I land even 1 or 2 trout in a couple of hours I have done well.
I have gotten a little better at taking time to smell the roses while fishing, though I really do want to fish as well as I can. Having said that, even after more than 40 years on the water with a fly rod, I am still learning lots of things and cannot hold a candle to some of the "young lions" who can easily fish circles around me.
Anyway, I don't think counting is a "sin."
Sorry so long again.
 
acristickid wrote:

What are your thoughts on fish counting?
Does this effect your outing?
Do you ever move spots?
How quickly does it take you to decide this?

I really don't count but I am always saying to myself I want to catch one more.
As far as affecting my outing the answer is NO!! I just love to be out there.
I am always moving. To me it is hunting without killing. I like to find fish in different places.
I usually move after 5 or 6 casts.

Fishing is fun and I can unwind when I am at the stream. I don't stress my self out if I don't catch a fish. There is always tomorrow. :)
 
I use jack's estimation method as well.
 
I count sometimes and sometimes i dont.

As far as how long odes it take me to move....not long.

If your fishing a stream like Spring and your having a bad day i usually stay. The stream is amazing and has a ton of fish. If im not catching them it isnt because they are not there.

When fishing small wild trout streams, i fish very very fast. Ask anyone that has fished with me, i dont spend a lot of time in one place. On a small wild trout stream your fist 2 casts are very important. If you dont catch a brookie by then.........move on. I can cover alot of mileage doing this and often catch a ton of fish.
If im fishing with someone on a stream like this....they dont see me much. I will be a mile downstream sometimes before i turn around to find them. I will however skip holes as to give them a place to toss a fly that has yet to be disturbed. When i find them again i will slow down and let them know which ones i skipped.

More first and second casts........mean alot more fish.

If im not catching anything on a small stream it usually only takes me 30 mins to an hour to go to the next stream or section.
 
Regarding spring creek:

Sometimes it may be wise to move. I've seen temp variations of over ten degrees between two different popular stretches of the stream. Keep that in mind. :)
 
I will Jay and thanks. I havent gotten to fish Spring in my life as much as i should have. I have a lot to learn about that stream.
 
I'm a counter since I like to be competitive against others or myself . I almost always count when I fish for wild trout but rarely even think about it when I fish for stockies on Ridley . When fishing for smallies I almost always loose count after 10 but always remember the biggins . :p
 
salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
When fishing small wild trout streams, i fish very very fast. Ask anyone that has fished with me, i dont spend a lot of time in one place. On a small wild trout stream your fist 2 casts are very important. If you dont catch a brookie by then.........move on.


In the stream area pictured below, focusing on the pool at the bottom left part of the photo, it would take me at least 10-15 casts to be convinced that the fish I suspect are there are not interested in my offering. Talented anglers may be able to be confident that they showed their offering to all the fish with a proper presentation and drift in fewer casts.

If I already know my offering is good (because I have caught on it that day), I am not going to change flies to try to get the recalcitrant residents of that pool. My time is better used moving on.

Then again, If I had a nice fish show and I know his holding lie, I may change flies or stages of fly to see if I can get him.


20100124_SR.jpg

 
I count, I lose track after 8 but I usually don't catch that many so it's not really an issue. I don't keep track of sunfish or chubs unless it's a really slow day or I'm trying to see if I can get 25 in an hour or 50 in a day or something like that. If I'm not doing well, even on most medium sized creeks, I don't hesitate to move.
 
I usually don't keep count unless it's a year in which I keep a fishing journal (like 2009). Since I keep a journal only about once every 3-4 years, most years keeping count doesn't matter to me. I have even considered dropping fish count when I keep a journal but since I have always counted fish, and my fly fishing journals go back to 1983, I feel I ought to maintain fish count just to preserve my journals' integrity.
 
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