"Gene Cottrell" wrote

My experience has been that it takes some time to learn a stream. I've
gone on many trips with and without a guide and invariably can get into
more fish, sooner, with a guide. I enjoy it both ways, but if getting into
fish is an important part of your trip, a guide is the best way to go on
strange waters.



I'm sure you are right and it is important to mention that 'catching fish'
is not a high priority with me.

It was at times in my past, and over 35+years I think I've progressed though
fairly common stages ... wanting to catch a fish ... wanting to catch lots
of fish ... wanting to catch big fish ... and currently wanting to catch
very tough to catch fish.

I've discussed this with several people that have gone down the same
progression ( or regression? ;-)

The study, the effort, the trial and error, the process itself is the fun,
in MY case. Two days work to hook a single very tough SOB is better than two
50 fish days, in my book ... now.

I don't like several days of getting skunked, in a row, but I am FAR more
likely to come back to a place where I know there are feeding fish that I
can't catch, than to come back to a place where I caught a ton.

I usually do as well or better than others around me, on the waters I choose
to fish ( anyone can out fish me in a freestone riffle ) I've compared
notes with some 'name' fishermen at the end of the day without total
embarrassment G

I also know I'm just beginning to understand the waters I call my adopted
home waters, and THAT pleases me immensely ... I've found a couple places
I'll be physically able to fish as long as I can still drive and walk and
still be learning on my last day there

A last thing I hinted at in my use of a bedroom analogy, intimacy with the
water, with the environment, is important to me. I find that the presence
of a stranger I have to talk to diminishes that much more than just other
anglers nearby. Sometimes I greatly enjoy bantering with others as I fish,
on the Firehole on one of it's 'cast, set, reel, cast, set, reel,' days I
like to have company because the fishing itself isn't demanding enough to
fully engross. But when I 'really' fish it's just me and the fish and our
little niche of the world. I nearly go into a trance and I can ignore people
near, but not people looking over my shoulder G ( or whoopers :-(

I have lots of spare time ( as my boring posts here prove ) and sometimes
hours of 'just observing' are my fishing day, and those are very often the
days I enjoy the most.