Question for the day

Okay, here's the question.

After not fishing since October, I can fish for trout this weekend- but it
will take driving for four hours (Memphis to the Norfork Tailwater) to fish
for seven hours, and drive four hours home. The weather will be between 17
& a balmy high of 30 degrees, and I'll be traveling and fishing alone. Do I
do it?

Memphis Jim
(When I move back North it's going to take me a long time to get used to
cold weather again).

"Memphis Jim" wrote in message
...
Okay, here's the question.

Road trip! Given the good amount of lead time, I'd strongly consider it.
Four hours is a haul, but not so bad if you're prepared. You have enough
time to make the arrangements and preparations to make the trip enjoyable
and cover the contingencies. Pack a cooler w/ suitable food & beverages,
put the good travelin' tunes in the CD case, and keep an eye on the weather
forecast. I don't know about the Norfork tailwater, but we're looking at a
considerable improvement in daytime highs here (Balto) this week. That 17
to 30 may be overly pessimistic.

Joe F.

I have firm rules about FDR ( fishing to driving ratio ) and 1 to 1 is
really pushing it ...for me.

But, I've not really a serious fisherman in the sense that many seem to be,
and very seldom fish more than 3 or 4 hours a day, usually only a couple.
Eight hours of driving would have to yield several days on quality water, to
make the FDR appeal to me.

But the real question is ...is that what you wanted to hear? Bet you want
support in a decision already really made, and since a fly fishing forum is
going to overwhelmingly say "go fishing" my guess is that is what you want
to hear and why you asked here G

Drive safe

But the real question is ...is that what you wanted to hear? Bet you
want
support in a decision already really made, and since a fly fishing forum
is
going to overwhelmingly say "go fishing" my guess is that is what you want
to hear and why you asked here G


Larry,

You are perceptive as usual. The real issue is that given the effort
involved, at some point this weekend I will likely reach that "what the hell
am I doing" point, especially if the fishing is slow, or if God forbid I
get skunked.

Of course, if I land a four pound trout (I am looking at a picture of my
last one right now) all such concerns are gone, and it's clearly a
successful trip.

Memphis Jim

Memphis Jim wrote:snipAfter not fishing since October, I can fish for trout
this weekend- but it
will take driving for four hours (Memphis to the Norfork Tailwater) to fish
for seven hours, and drive four hours home. The weather will be between 17
& a balmy high of 30 degrees,

Don't they have any brim in the Memphis area? Course I just don't get why
anyone would like to fish tailwater fisheries.

Big Dale

Course I just don't get why
anyone would like to fish tailwater fisheries.

Big Dale

Because it's always Spring for a trout on a tailwater river.

Memphis Jim

I don't know Memphis Jim you will have to seriously think of moving
somewhere closer that four hours away from the any kinda action...I have
gotten so bad that I live right on a River full of all 5 species of Salmon
as well at Trout,Dollies and of course Steelhead...I hate cold air as much
as the next guy and always a sad day when I have to take my boat out of the
river in November...Winter Steelhead and Killer Ocean run cutthroat action
make the winter months pass quickly...and then it's just
Kings,Sockeye,Coho,Pinks,Chum and Summer run Steelhead until the snow flies
again....I think I forgot to mention that Ocean fishing is only 1 hour from
my house and I hear the Winter Springs are biting...gotta go...peace gord p

On 2004-02-03 08:48:41 -0700, "Memphis Jim"
said:

Okay, here's the question.

After not fishing since October, I can fish for trout this weekend- but
it
will take driving for four hours (Memphis to the Norfork Tailwater) to
fish
for seven hours, and drive four hours home. The weather will be between
17
& a balmy high of 30 degrees, and I'll be traveling and fishing alone.
Do I
do it?

You sound ambivalent, to say the least. Your heart is whispering at you to
go, while your head is shouting at you to stay. I believe that fishing
trips should only be undertaken with great enthusiasm.

-----------------------------------------------------
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

The weather will be between 17
& a balmy high of 30 degrees, and I'll be traveling and fishing alone.
Do I do it?

Unless they are predicting freezing precip, I'd do it. If you catch good
fish it becomes a great memory. If not, it remains a "how dedicated to
fishing I am" tale.

--
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Darkstar

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm

"rw" wrote

.. I believe that fishing
trips should only be undertaken with great enthusiasm.



I think that is very true.

I'm finding that retirement is a double edged sword. One comes to realize
that we go fishing, hunting, and whatever for several reasons, but in two
main catagories .... to go "to" something we enjoy .... and to "get away
from" things we need to escape for a while. The value of "wanna do" is
greatly increased by the contrast to "gotta do" and, thus, reducing "gotta
do" decreases "wanna do" ... there's some Zen in there somewhere G

A third item I fight with myself about is "identity" .... example, for years
I was a truly avid waterfowler .. I hunted 89 days a year out of a 91 day
season. I think we tend to identitfy with our hobbies much like we do our
jobs. Asked, "What do you do?" I was as likely to say "hunt ducks" as I
was to say " train Field Trial Retrievers."

When my interest in hunting started to wain, mainly because I just got too
good at it and the challenge was gone ( arrogant but true ), I found myself
saying "I 'should' go hunting today, the weather is right" even though I
knew I didn't really want to go. I identified myself as "avid duck hunter"
and felt I needed to live up to that or lose some of my identity, what makes
me, me.

It took some doing but I find I'm now perfectly happy being a "former" avid
waterfowler. I'd advise against taking any trips that one feels "should" be
done, waiting till "wanna" gets stronger. I haven't hunted in two years,
but I have little doubt that the day will come again when you'd have to
fight with me to keep me from going .... and it will come sooner if I don't
try to force the issue