Things You've Learned This Year

[bloom]

Well, what are some of the 'epiphanies' you've had on the water this year? Some of mine are:

 

-when fishing boatman on lakes, the strip has to be really fast...almost as fast as you can go (and hang on!). This has been my best fall fishing for boatman.

-sometimes a dead drift when nymphing rivers isn't the way to go. I've found that if you mend too much, there can be too much slack between your indicator and flies (i.e. your indicator is right above your flies). I've been out fished by people mending very poorly and I know their flies and being dragged through the water. This works though as they see the takes a lot better than I do as their line is taught between their indicator and flies.

-Bowcrow can make one bad ass fire

-Fluorocarbon sinks even faster than I thought (noticed this when I dropped two new spools of Froghair over the side of my boat and they were gone before I could even grab my net)

-Scotch tastes the best on the side of the Crowsnest River in the winter.

 

[agbff]

Well ive learned

- Fly fishing isn't just for crazy old people (but mostly!)

- Spey casting is the way of the future

- If a big fish wants to leave... let em go!

- " if your not seeing rainbows, your not catching rainbows" max

- set on everything

- adventuring is just as much fun as catching fish

- fishing in solitude is key

- any amount of time to get on the river is a good time

- fishing in shite weather is rewarding

- fly fishing is more addictive than crack

- fly tying is like heroine

 

Started fishing this year and will be doing in every year from now on!

 

Oh, with out peoples help from this board... id probably still be fishless! thanks all

[darrinhurst]

What did I learn?

 

I learned how to fly fish. Well, fly CAST mainly. Still don't have the whole "fishing" part of it down just yet, hopefully that will change soon.

 

Learning all the techniques. Still learning the proper way to present the fly, weather it be dry, nymph or streamer.

 

I too have learned that fly fishing is more addicting than crack. As well as any time spent on the water is good time.

 

I also learned that a bad day of fly fishing is better than a good day at work.......

[fishfreak]

Just a few things I picked up this year that has helped my fishing:

 

- the SJW should ALWAYS be on the end of your line on the Bow

- patience in your cast enables you to fish with 2 or even 3 hooks (finally can do it consistently without tangles!)

- fish the water in front of you before you wade in

- spring runoff is a good time to fish

- a good pair of waders is worth its weight in gold

- don't be lazy... break down that rod when you put it in your car to drive to another location

- don't forget to eat and drink when you're fishing

- don't underestimate the power of the SJW

 

Thanks to guys like Max, SJW, Hawgstoppah, rickr, Toolman, and everyone else for sharing your wealth of knowledge to help us all be better flyfishers.

 

[trailhead]

A) If you stand and watch a bear run towards you they will turn and run away.

 

Nothing is a sure thing.

[troutfisher]

Here's 10 things I learned fishing for trout on the bow river

 

1. Dont use a spinning real to fish trout in the bow.

2. Waders are a must of you want to fish the good pools

3. Don't blast your cell phone tunes while fishing

4. Dont get into a conversation with the guy at russell sports if your on your way to the fishing hole.

5. There is no need to cast your line half way across the river.

6. Alberta Fishing Licence is Paper (Stupid, almost a setup)

7. Dont spit into the wind

8. Dont buy cheep fly line

9. Always have a digital camera with you when fishing

10. If in doubt just refer to all the friendly people on fly fishing calgary , and they will help you out and give you all the tips you need to get started. excellent site

 

 

[loyaleddie]

1. I need to get out more often

2. I need to teach my sons respect for back casts

3. I need to get out more

4. Fly tying is not a good idea while intoxicated

5. I need to get out more

6. It’s a great ego booster when you have a bad day of fishing on the river, then to go to a trout pond and RAKE them in afterwards.

7. I need to get out more.

8. Temple fork has a GREAT warranty program (there was no shame in showing up on their door step twice to replace a section of rod)

9. I love my job, because they financially support my addiction (via employee wellness programs).

10. Floating beer in the river to keep cool and not properly weighing it down is not a good idea. UNLESS you are on the down stream side (thanks guys for the free Pills…*BURP* Oh BTW one or two was good but five was too much)

Repeat number one!

 

[bigbowtrout]

Life is way to short

 

Work to live not live to work

 

Catching is not everything but fishing is

 

Fish with good people

 

Pre heat oven before you put in the cake

 

Don't open the door before cake is done

 

Don't take some of the posts on here to heart.

 

When fishing alone ask yourself why are you standing on this log jam with no one around? (not a smart thing to do)

 

The only thing that should be left till tomorrow is work.

[Teck71]

things I learned

 

1. my wife bought me a jinxed net (leave it in the van till curse wears off)

2. The Crowsnest is to cold to take a dip in during April

3. Stop in to see Vic at Crowsnest Angler before fishing crowsnest (great flies and he'll put ya right)

4. A streamer in the Head or ass hurts

5. You can always find someone to fish with from FFC if you put the word out

6. They are always good people

7. a decent roll cast is pricless

8. fishing in the winter can pay off

9. respect others space as much as your own

10. A dink on your own fly is as good as a monster on a stores fly

 

 

11. I have so much more to learn......

[snakeman]

Great thread! Here are some things I learned this past season:

 

- Never underestimate smallmouth bass in lakes. They can be just as challenging as any trout species.

- Grayling are a hell of a sportfish. They're pretty, scrappy, and they live in beautiful places. This was the first season I've caught grayling and now I'm going to be tempted to do some serious fishing up north next year.

- I've found that it's important for me to focus on casting during every outing. There is always room to improve, and being a better caster makes fishing more enjoyable.

- Fishing with friends is more fun than fishing alone.

- The Elbow and it's tribs and side channels is full of surprises. I really enjoyed exploring off the beaten path this year and finding some awesome spots with memorable fish.

[DutchDryfly]

- Browns on a DH rod is fun

- Grayling on a DH rod are even more fun

- Big grayling likes shallow waters

- Whiskey and sleeping in a tent does not go well together

- Taking 4 holidays a year to go fishing is not bad

- When a friend tells you he is not good at nymphing, he will probably catch more then 30 decent fish

- Closed season is way to long

- Autumn 2010 is a long wait

- Rising fish will also take a speyfly

 

[theiceman2]

Things I have learned this season:

 

1: There are two types of dogs, Type 1 will bark at a bear, put himself in harms way and defend you no matter if the price is his own life , Type 2 will call a bear graizing on berries every name in the book, piss him off enough to approch you and then cry while runnig behind you to protect him.

 

2: IT PAYS TO KNOW WHET TYPE OF DOG YOU HAVE! I HAVE LEARNED THAT MY DOG IS A TYPE 2!

 

3: Nymphing nymphing nymphing, and tandem rigs are worth the fustration.

 

4: Light weight tackle makes every brookie feel like a trophy

 

5: It is possible to have too much junk in your vest, yes I said it!

 

6: Gore-tex is attracted to barb wire like a magnet

 

7: Not everyone like fishing as much as you

 

8: Leave you recipt at the fly shop, you will not return anything you buy and all that recipt is good for is to let your wife know how much you spend.

 

9: Turn over rocks to see what nymphs are in the water thru out the day, match your flies to the hatch, and size is more important then color. Do it several times a day because it actually changes.

 

10: Florocarbon is good only when its new, 2 hour old fluro gets nicks and scrapes and gets cloudy and is worse then mono if you dont change it often.

 

11: Pink San juan worms actually work, even though I have never seen a neon pink worm.

 

12: Debarbed hooks are easier to remove from the back of your heaad then barbed hooks.

 

[Hawgstoppah]

Things I have learned or realized this year

 

- It not about the fish, it's about the friends along the way ( I knew this before, but I feel it's been hammered home very solidly this year)

 

- You can land a 40lb KingSalmon in under 2 minutes if your lucky.

 

- You can actually catch a steelhead if your lucky.

 

- There ARE secret spots ..

 

- Rusty makes the best camp food, ever.

 

 

[duanec]

-chirono patterns are deadly when it's going, and the research & trial/error was well worth it

-when you're fishing, estimate your time to be back home and + 2.5 hrs so your wife doesn't freak out at 1 am

-ask lots of questions no matter how stupid you may appear

-night fishing w/ streamers is good comedy

-be bear aware, always

-i know now i need to know more now about tricos, midges, other bugs...

-there's a wealth of knowledge posted here and good peeps willing to share on the forum

-there's some total shite posted, some real nut-cases out there, and some of it is very entertaining

-getting out more often [even f/short trips] = more knowledge = more success

-when someone is on the oars and don't know wtf they are doing it's really frustrating

-some people are more courteous than others, some peeps just don't give a rats ass

-i need to explore more waters more often

-i need to spend more time on the bow

-red is not the only color that works

-shut up and listen/engage brain before typing

-need to try to spey again

-fishing alone is fun

-fishing w/ pals is fun, more so when you out fish them

-3 flies is more challenging to cast

-there's lots of great water within the city that does not get pounded

-everyone has an opinion, some of them quite strong...especially on the 'net

-drifting the bow at night is way cool

-more expensive kit does not equal better success, or mean someone is a better fisher

-don't buy crap kit once you're into the sport, as, if taken care of, quality things will last a while

-be open to suggestions, but put your filters on as well

-i need to be more financially independent to continue to support my growing fishing problem

-there's always much room to improve, esp. w/ dries on the bow [still]

-watch & learn, smell the rocks, eat the flowers, look up once in a while...

-dark rum is never, ever a bad idea

 

 

 

 

 

[bigbowtrout]

-dark rum is never, ever a bad idea

 

 

AMEN!!!!!!!

[Taco]

i hate friggin lakes

[headscan]

I learned:

- that I have a serious addiction that causes me to spend obscene amounts of money and there aren't any 12 step programs for it.

- I prefer to carry both a single and double hand rod with me

- I can single-hand spey cast much better than I overhead cast

- there are times that I prefer to fish alone and others that I prefer to fish with friends

- it isn't all about size/numbers of fish, but they sure make a good day of fishing even better

- I'd rather spend a few bucks more on quality gear that will last a lifetime than less expensive gear that needs to be replaced every year or two

- the one thing you leave in the trunk because you don't think you'll need it that day turns out to be the one thing you needed the most (rain coat, toque, extra rod, bug spray, etc.)

- some people simply don't understand that low-holing is rude

- it's easier to stop fishing for a couple of minutes when someone throws their dog's ball into your water than to remove a hook from an angry dog

- even highly pressured spots still produce good fish (there's a reason some of those spots see so much pressure)

- Bow river trout in high traffic areas are not nearly as easily spooked as most people seem to think, which I learned after nearly stepping on a couple at FC and SDP

- the forum feature that lets you block certain users' posts is really handy

- the forum also lets you make some really good new friends who are just as obsessed as you are

[bigbowtrout]

I was wondering if Headscan has made a post here?

[reevesr1]

Fishing with new people is the best, wish I could have done it more

Fishing with old friends is the best, wish I could have done it more

Fishing by yourself is the best, I got to do that lots.

 

I love fishing with nymphs, dries, and streamers. I'm getting better at nymphs but still mostly suck at dries and streamers. I like to fight fish too much to switch from what is working, and fishing with dries, or at least setting the hook with dries, takes a confidence that I have not come close to figuring out.

 

Like almost all activities, the more you do it, the more you learn, and the more you figure out you really don't know anything. This year I've really learned how little I know.

 

Can't wait to figure out how much more I really don't know.

 

 

 

 

[zed]

i learned:

 

when you happen to live two+ hours from any decent river, quit complaining and learn how to fish a lake. sight fishing for huge rainbow is fun!

[SanJuanWorm]

I learned how to make a baby.

[Pythagoras]

Just because 'Where the Buffalo Roam' and 'Fear and Loathing' were on tonight....

 

You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug, especially when its waving a razor sharp hunting knife in your eye.

 

There is nothing more helpless and irresponsible than a man in the depths of an ether binge.

 

If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.

 

I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours.

 

I feel the same way about disco as I do about herpes.

 

Buy the ticket, take the ride.

 

Call on God, but row away from the rocks.

 

Hunter S. Thompson

 

 

 

 

[jksnijders]

Just because 'Where the Buffalo Roam' and 'Fear and Loathing' were on tonight....

 

You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug, especially when its waving a razor sharp hunting knife in your eye.

 

There is nothing more helpless and irresponsible than a man in the depths of an ether binge.

 

If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.

 

I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours.

 

I feel the same way about disco as I do about herpes.

 

Buy the ticket, take the ride.

 

Call on God, but row away from the rocks.

 

Hunter S. Thompson

 

 

"We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert...."

 

Too funny. Read that book in about 2 days. And watched the BS edited version tonight also... RIP HST.

 

[jksnijders]

A few things I've learned, this year and years previous.

 

- Be open minded as to water and the possibilities each type holds. I had alot of success fishing water I normally would have only given a short effort to. The time paid off, in fish landed and experience gained. A change of approach was all it took. Now I never pass by such spots.

 

- Learn something from everyone you fish with. I've picked up a pile of little techniques just by watching the guys I usually fish with. Lorney and Brad are far better than I am in many ways, proven in the number of times they've each out-fished me. And I have watched and learned from them.

 

- Keep your eyes open, and don't be afraid to just sit and watch a while.

 

- Look around and pick up some rocks. Pay attention to what the river is doing. Some of the best days I've had everything was laid out for me, all I had to do was open my eyes and see it.

 

- Don't be afraid to change things up a bit. I started using patterns and techniques I wasn't really used to, and had alot of luck in doing so. (Sometimes)

 

- "Set on everything." Absolutely right. Been surprised more times than I can recall.

 

- Make SURE you're on bottom whilst nymphing. Don't just assume you are. Made that mistake way too many times.

 

- Don't be afraid to explore new areas. Some of the best days I had were on streams I had never fished before. And I was a bit hesitant to do so, rather than fish a stream I was familiar with.

 

- A fish caught on your own fly is pretty damn satisfying. (And subsequently pretty damn expensive.)

 

- Small streams can be alot of fun, and yield some surprisingly big fish.

 

- Never be afraid to cast it long.

 

- Don't believe everything you read in these posts.

 

- "Engage brain before typing" Very true. (Especially for a snap case like myself)

 

- Never be scared to use heavy tippet in fast water for nymphing, or chucking streamers.

 

- Think for yourself.

 

 

[Hawgstoppah]

- Learn something from everyone you fish with. I've picked up a pile of little techniques just by watching the guys I usually fish with.

 

- Look around and pick up some rocks. Pay attention to what the river is doing.

 

- Don't be afraid to change things up a bit.

 

- "Set on everything." Absolutely right. Been surprised more times than I can recall.

 

- Make SURE you're on bottom whilst nymphing. Don't just assume you are. Made that mistake way too many times.

 

Pretty much a template for Bow river success right there. Great post man.

 

Brian