Does anyone really go out...
- Thread starter Chaz
- Start date
I go out thinking that I am going to get the hell away from people and head into the woods and do some fishing. There is a lot more to fishing than catching big fish. I enjoy the whole experience. The scenery means a lot in my overall satisfaction while fishing. I would rather catch a 6 inch Brookie in the middle of the woods than catch a 20 inch stocked Palomino right next to a road with fishermen on either side of me.
pabrookie94
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I go out in the hopes to catch large brookies of course. However, what I'm really after is peace and the beauty of the fish. I think if I fished for them for their size I would've quit a long time ago. Another bonus is typically the scenery.
Agree, a major part of getting out and on the water is to enjoy the experience. Skiing is and experience that I might enjoy at 33?. Fishing is something that I'll enjoy when the temps near 50?. I really enjoy fishing and anyone that's out in a 12+ hour day with me will testify to that but I won't go to kill time or because I'm bored. That's when fly tying or a nap come in. 🙂
steveo27
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Bingo. I go out with the mindset of "Im going to explore new water, get some fresh air, and just get away from everything". Finding fish is an added bonus, even if it is a handful of native dinks. Fishing, to me, is all about taking in everything as a whole. The hike, the sounds, the smells, the way stress melts. Personally my favorite part is pouring over maps and trying to figure out where the next adventure will lead. Typically, it leads to small infertile freestone headwater streams that are populated with 6" brook trout.
Some people find satisfaction in catching the biggest fish, others find satisfaction in fishing.
pcray1231
Well-known member
Yeah, I sometimes do. I'm usually "after" scenery, exploration, just time in nature. From a fishing standpoint I set goals and expectations for all trips, whether it's for small brookies or steelhead or whatever. I'll enjoy it whether or not I hit my goals. They could be based on numbers. Or maybe size. But always related to my expectation. I.e. there are places where I'm disappointed with
salmonoid
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I go out to go fishing. I usually settle on a fishing quantity target as the outing goes by, based on conditions, apparent fish density, etc. I only think about the size of the fish under a few circumstances:
1) I spot a large fish,
2) I spot habitat that is likely to produce a big fish,
3) I've fished the stream before and caught a larger fish from a certain location
Most times, it's about the location, the scenery and if fishing with someone else, the comradery.
1) I spot a large fish,
2) I spot habitat that is likely to produce a big fish,
3) I've fished the stream before and caught a larger fish from a certain location
Most times, it's about the location, the scenery and if fishing with someone else, the comradery.
I think pcray's answer to this is a good one.
This spring, I hope to get to fish a brook trout stream I have not fished for more than 20 years. An access path to it has miraculously been reopened through a "laurel hell" that was not negotiable (by me or average people) for at least the last 10 of those years. It is a 3-mile walk(one way) to get there. I hope my playing basketball this winter will have me ready to go. A 6-inch brook trout in the stream was a nice one 20 years ago; one closing in on 9" was a veritable monster. After 20 more years of acid rain, I hoping this rather infertile stream still hosts the lovely natives, though I hope I don't have to jump over any rattlesnakes getting to it as happened a few times during the long-lost days of my youth.
So I guess, yes, I'll choose to fish purposely, hoping to catch some 6" brook trout.
This spring, I hope to get to fish a brook trout stream I have not fished for more than 20 years. An access path to it has miraculously been reopened through a "laurel hell" that was not negotiable (by me or average people) for at least the last 10 of those years. It is a 3-mile walk(one way) to get there. I hope my playing basketball this winter will have me ready to go. A 6-inch brook trout in the stream was a nice one 20 years ago; one closing in on 9" was a veritable monster. After 20 more years of acid rain, I hoping this rather infertile stream still hosts the lovely natives, though I hope I don't have to jump over any rattlesnakes getting to it as happened a few times during the long-lost days of my youth.
So I guess, yes, I'll choose to fish purposely, hoping to catch some 6" brook trout.
PennKev
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I don't really expect to catch anything of much size when fishing specifically for brookies, although I hope to catch some larger than 6". Nothing wrong with that. It's a different type of fishing in a different environment when compared to fishing larger waters.
I do however suspect that there are some guys who fish the small water for small fish because that is the only way they can catch trout without getting skunked regularly.
"Oh yeah, I caught 30 trout yesterday! [size=xx-small]Collectively they weight 2 1/2 pounds"[/size]
dryflyguy
Well-known member
I really enjoy catching anything on a dry fly.
And a 2 weight rod makes even small fish fun.
And a 2 weight rod makes even small fish fun.
