Mike Cline
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When I read this post yesterday I began to seriously think about HOW I helped transform a young 2nd cousin (9 years old – 1996) into a very skilled fly fisherman at age 22 (2007). Although I’d been fishing with Matt’s grandfather and father many times, I was always the guest and Matt erred to his grandfather. Bobbers and crickets for bedding bream or trolling spinners for schooling stripe. When Matt was 9, his mother finally turned him loose for a week away from home with me fishing. I’m sure we started with bobbers and crickets, but gradually as time wore on we expanded Matt’s repetoire.
Looking back, I think the key to that expansion was providing Matt ample opportunity to catch fish (bobbers and crickets) while I fished using my favorite techniques–fly fishing and ultralight spinning even though I knew my odds were decreased because of the little kid slapping the bobber around. When Matt watched me catch a fish on the ultralight or flyrod, he wanted to try–and try I let em. Initially the skills weren’t there–no fish, back to the bobber. But it allowed me to see what he needed to learn, and understand what I needed to teach him. We got 2 or 3 opportunities every summer to fish for several days together. As his age, attention span and eye-hand coordination improved, his casting skills improved. It was never really forced–he decided how he wanted to catch fish and I decided how I wanted to catch fish, except that when his big cousin caught a fish fly fishing, he needed to try.
When he was about 13 or 14, it was time for the big trip. His mother allowed him to go with us to Minnesota for 2 weeks (she packed enough clothes for a whole semester at college but that’s another story). This was a big test for him. Could he focus and fish for 2 weeks in the North Woods?–no bobbers and crickets. This was a real confidence boost for him. He learned some new techniques, experienced new kinds of fish, and had a great time doing it. Despite sunburn and mosquitos, he did well. We made that trip several more summers, adding in a bit of hiking into lakes with canoes or float tubes–always trying to broaden his experiences while allowing him to catch fish the way he wanted too. HIs first trout trip was to the Smokies. He did OK, but he was hooked so to speak. When he was 19, I flew him to Colorado for a few days of trout fishing with a guide float fishing the Arkansas River. Another new experience–his fly casting skills had improved significantly so he could focus on learning how to catch trout from the guide and listening to the guide. Again I just took the opportunity to broaden his horizons and skills. I can say today that’s its paid off hansomely. He goes fishing on his own whenever he can. He catches fish fly fishing and with ultralights to the amazement of his friends. He saves his $$ for trips and gear. He is the envy of his college buddies.
In retrospect I am sure his success is due to much more than my helping him, but the fact that I let him fish however he wanted to, but never failed to fish (as an incentive) the way I wanted to when I was fishing with him helped alot I didn’t impose any technique on him, but showed him all the techniques that worked for me.
I also can’t imagine ever paying to fish private water.
For me, its not hard to imagine. Last September during a trip to Montana, I had the opportunity to spend a day fishing 5 miles of the East Gallatin River off the Milesnick Ranch (MZ Ranch). The price was $50 and they limit access to 6 rods per day. The day I fished only one other guy was fishing and he chose to fish the spring creeks. The ranch also includes several miles of spring creeks which I chose not to fish. I think this was the first time I’d ever paid to fish private access other than staying at lodges that had private water. As a point of comparison, the previous day I’d floated the Yellowstone with a guide and another partner ($375 + tip). The float provided some good fishing, but nothing that would compare with the day on the MZ Ranch. The following day, I did some wade fishing on the Yellowstone near Livingston, MT with about the same result of float two days previous. Cost: free. By comparision, $375, $50, Free, the $50 for a full day on some outstanding water was a bargain. The fish were bigger–browns and rainbows 16-22″, much more cooperative, and did what I live for–they were slamming Woolly Buggers all day. But the biggest joy was that I effectively had 5 miles of prime water to myself.
Last Sunday night my wife, cousin and I ate a typical Mexican meal at a location Mex restaurant ($50 + tip for an 1 hour of eating). I can live all day on granola bars and gatorade and am more than willing to pay $50 for a whole day of quality fishing.
Trust me, right then, the only thing I was thankful for was NOT having to go to that conference.
Zach,
Having survived 35 years of marriage, there’s more than one way you have to pay to fish!
I pay to fish every chance I get, but its really a matter of context. I live in Alabama, own my own bass boat, am very familar with all the local water, so I don’t have to pay local guides to fish. However when I am on a business trip near new and different places to fish, I try to always take a few days off in conjunction with trip and fish. To do that successfully, you either need to know the area really well, or hire a local guide–they got the drift boats, the best access, and the local knowledge etc. Its averaging out to about 4-5 guided trips a year now. That might seem like a lot of $$ at $250-$400 a pop, but it really pays off on the second and third time to familar locations. Since ’98, I’ve floated the Arkansas River at least once a year with Ark Anglers, Salida, CO. But now, I can take three days of extra time to fish the Arkansas on a trip to Colorado, and not waste anytime finding good wading spots and access. The guided trips always make subsequent trips more productive.
If you can afford it, hire a guide in unfamilar waters. Especially if time is short. I know life is!
Previously, I have to resort to heavier bugs and streamers, but I just know as soon as I start swinging those streamers, they’re coming way off the bottom. I catch plenty of small smallies, but have a feeling I’m fishing right over larger fish.
In my view the key to success with full sinking lines (I love um) is using a short, stout tippet. I rarely use more than 3′ of (0X for warmwaters, 2X for trout) attached to a short mono loop on the fly line. A longer leader just floats well above the belly of the line. This was really confirmed for me last year in New Hampshire on the Androscroggin River. The guide had put me on lots of fish and I was using a 5wt full sink line with a 3′ tippet. When it needed replacement, the guide tied on a 7.5′ tapered leader (I am not sure why I let him do it, but I was paying him hansomely for his skills). The trout just stopped coming. After an hour of no fish I suggested going back to the shorter tippet. Almost immediately we were back into fish. Since then, I’ve experienced no shortcomings using a short, stout tippet. The fish don’t seem to mind when that fly is right in front of them.
More Gar’ish information
Zach,
Yeah I agree but for now, using Wikipedia as means for building Pattern pages with some amount of consistent encyclopedic approach would be useful.
I’ve used the top end Korkers for two seasons now in Colorado, Washington and Montana wouldn’t use anything else. With a set of plain felts, felts with studs and trail soles you have one pair of boots that you can use anywhere. On some streams you really need studs, but the studs running the drift boats won’t let you in their boat with them. That’s when the plain felts are useful. Last fall, hiked up the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone about 4 miles using the trail soles. It was a quick 2 minute switch to put on the felt/studs when we got to the fishing hole. Carrying an extra pair of soles is easy. Hiking that eight miles on felt would have destroyed them. Korkers are a good bet and I didn’t have to carry an extra pair of boots just for the hike.
The hike on the way In!
