On Mar 29, 8:35*am, Mike wrote:
On Mar 13, 3:55 pm, Halfordian Golfer wrote:



"Quality of fishing experience" means a lot of different things to a
lot of different people. A kid fishing for bullheads in the farm pond
is having a quality experience, while the average flyfisherman would
not consider that a quality experience.

What is a quality experience to you?

Rate the following 1-10 where 1 means "not important to me" and 10
means "most important to me"

Fishing involves access to large numbers of eager and aggressive large
trout for catch and release fun.
Fishing is in relative solitude
Fishing is amidst interesting or beautiful scenery
Fishing allows you to keep a few decent fish for dinner
Fish caught are not visibly scarred from previous *human encounters
Fish caught are free from disease
Fish caught are safe to eat and free from dangerous chemicals
Fish caught have firm colored tasty flesh
Fish caught are appropriate for the area and do not threaten the
ecosystem of that area
Fish can be caught using lures in addition to flies

Halfordian Golfer

Actually, I think fishing for anything at all, under practically any
circumstances, can be a "quality" experience, but the individual
perception of such varies widely. Mine does not actually vary much as
far as I can determine, although some things may enhance it. If I am
fishing, ( and not only fly-fishing) I am already enjoying a "quality"
experience per se.

Can´t think of a way to objectively ( or even subjectively for that
matter) "rate" various aspects of such an experience. *I might prefer
some aspects or conditions to others, *especially on a "theoretical"
level, and "beforehand" as it were, *but when I am actually fishing, I
tend to lose myself in it, and many things are then largely
unimportant, or not even noticeable.

When fishing for minnows etc, ( equates to your "farm pond bullhead"
analogy), then I am basically a small absorbed boy again, and my
perceptions are the same as those of that small boy. In point of fact,
this applies to practically any fishing experience for me.

There are a few things I don´t like, and would not normally engage in.
I don´t like crowds, I prefer to fish alone, I don´t fish for stocked
fish, and I don´t fish catch and release waters. *I don´t much like
areas which bear the heavy scars of human intervention, but other
places are hard to find nowadays, ( for me at least!).

This also basically comes down *to the age old question, "Why do you
fish?". *For me at least, it´s just something I have to do.

TL
MC

That's a great description and point of view Mike. It's one I share in
many ways. The regression to youthful, 'simplicity' I think, maybe
simplicity of expectations?, utterly resonates. I'd dare say that's
why I enjoy bluegill fishing at Sawhill ponds.

Still, I find it interesting that, as clearly flexible as you are,
there are some aspects that will almost always lessen the experience,
mostly around crowds or regulations that support them.

Hope this finds you well.

Your pal,

Halfordian Golfer