The most elusive fly fishing skill (moved from rofft)

Sandy wrote,

Would have been a fantastic day to fish today: was cloudy, snowy and
not all that windy.
Baetis where up every where, thick as a cloud of Big Hole Valley
mosquitos, I know
for sure, because I wasn't there.


Fly fishing involves many skills but the one I most desire, and find most
elusive, is "being in the right place at the right time."

I do NOT believe this is "mainly luck." Indeed, much of my "study" and
effort each season revolves around trying to find the two or three hours of
the day and 1/4 mile section of the stream that will be "best" that date.
That is why I think of myself as a hunter more than as a fisherman ... I'd
prefer to not have to master "non-hatch period" techniques to catch fish,
and from my observations of others I believe I'm far less motivated by
"catching fish" than most anglers. The 'hunts" however, enthrall me.

Years, and years, ago, I chatted in camp with an wobbly old geezer that
"didn't get out much, anymore." He suggested a place, to within feet, and
a time, to within minutes, for me to try, on his home water, but added he
hadn't been there lately, "too far to walk." Nearly, to the second and
exactly to the foot, his prediction came true, the action started, and
fishing was wonderful. I never saw that man cast, or fight a fish, let
alone catch one, but to this day he embodies much of my idea of the "skilled
fisherman." That is the reason I don't move from water to water like most
traveling anglers ... my desire is intense intimacy with a few, not "one
nighters" with the many.


NOTE: re-reading this I don't expect it to be of interest, but it's typed
and Sandy's "because I wasn't there" struck a chord ... so here it is




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Larry L wrote:

That is the reason I don't move from water to water like most
traveling anglers ... my desire is intense intimacy with a few, not "one
nighters" with the many.


I always enjoy reading your stuff, even when i disagree with what you
are saying. in contrast to your preferred mode, i like the movement, the
change, seeing what's around the bend, finding and fishing new
waters...and, since i'm happily married, my intense enjoyment of
"one-nighters" is now entirely and intimately limited to fishing. g

jeff

um...forgot this exception...

however, when a really big fish keeps rising around my fly, well...I try
to get intimate with her.G I've been known to stand in one spot on
Penns for hours trying to beguile one of those big rising browns. But,
that's not my preferred method of making the acquaintance of trout or
any other fish...well, except perhaps at dinnertime.

Jeff wrote:



Larry L wrote:

That is the reason I don't move from water to water like most
traveling anglers ... my desire is intense intimacy with a few, not
"one nighters" with the many.


I always enjoy reading your stuff, even when i disagree with what you
are saying. in contrast to your preferred mode, i like the movement, the
change, seeing what's around the bend, finding and fishing new
waters...and, since i'm happily married, my intense enjoyment of
"one-nighters" is now entirely and intimately limited to fishing. g

jeff

"Jeff" wrote



i like the movement, the
change, seeing what's around the bend, finding and fishing new waters...


it should be noted that my past job made a traveler out of me, like it or
not, and for years most of my fishing was of the "a few hours here, a few
there" style ......
my list of "been there" waters is fairly impressive compared to many anglers
I meet, if not up to the standards of real destination collector traveling
anglers

I still enjoy "new" but I have a lot of that in my background and have
reached an age where it's become obvious that if I'm to achieve a real
degree of "adopted home water intimacy" I better do it now ... since it, by
definition, requires time to blossom. Life doesn't provide enough time for
everything and, to me, "not moving to a new spot" is ... ah ..new !!

My next few years will probably include a week+ trip to "new" sandwiched
into my months long visits at the favored, comfortable places, that like my
wife of 30 years still surprise me more often than you'd think. I've never
been to the Big Horn, for instance ... it seems every time I head that
direction I get to wonderful places ( Yellowstone ) several hundred miles
sooner and start thinking "why go farther" .... I've done this at least
three times, set out for the Big Horn and gotten short stopped.


I have fished the LeTort, but I would like to try some of the other Eastern
waters ... but it will never happen .. I can't make it east enough to get to
the Big Horn, or some Wyoming and Colorado waters on my "wish list" G