We’ve passed on a whole lot of fishing tips on our blog – 201 so far, to be exact. Today we’ve got some tips that we think will help you have a better day on the water – and not a single one of them will help you catch more fish.
Have a read, and then add your own!
How to Have a Better Fishing Day
- Look up and take it all in. We all fish in some amazing places – don’t forget there’s beauty above the water too.
- Get to know your guide. As in, ask them some questions besides which fly is their favorite. Some pretty righteous folks like to guide – ask about their lives!
- Turn off your phone. Work will be there when you get back, and you’re not going to be able to deal with anything that comes up on the water anyhow.
- Try different stuff. Fish for dollies instead of salmon or sharks instead of bonefish. Catching different fish in different ways is fun.
- Learn about the area. Is there a subsistence fishery? What’s life like for the folks who live here? What are the local conservation issues? Understanding more about the place will give you context and that makes it a much richer experience.
- Take pictures of things besides fish. You’ll be amazed after your trip how nice it is to have pictures of the dining room, or the inside of the boat, or the folks sitting around the campfire, or your guide’s fly box.
- Bring along a novice. Better yet, bring along a kid. Teaching people to fish is incredibly rewarding.
- Forget the numbers. We count fish sometimes too…but forgetting the numbers takes the pressure off and works wonders with the ‘take it all in’ factor in #1.
- Drink lots of water. Wherever you are, you’ll feel better at the end of the day.
- Give back. If you enjoyed your time on the water, consider supporting an organization that supports the fishery. It’s the right thing to do, and it feels good!
We’ve gotten some really insightful input from our readers in the past, and we’d love to know – how else do you make your fishing days better? Leave a comment and let the world know.
@david_w_oliver added on Twitter – “fish with good people!”
‘Leave No Trace’. If you bring it in, take it back out with you. If you find things left by others, take them back out with you as well. Knowing you did your part to keep your fishery pristine is a great feeling!
Slow down, the fish will wait. You don’t have to catch them all.
Couple of additions from Facebook –
Charles Ferguson says “beer”
The Green Drake says “Wet Wipes”
Be prepared- get your gear organized before hand and make sure you have what you need. It sucks to get on the water to find you’ve forgotten a key piece of equipment at home / lodge etc. And go out with a good attitude.
I agree with the Be Prepared comment. However, it’s not just with your gear. Be prepared to make Casts. That’s what separates many anglers. Be prepared to put the fly where it needs to be, when it needs to get there. A little practice can go a long ways. After all, how many of you would go play Augusta without hitting a few balls beforehand?
Kent Klewein added a great one on Facebook – “Forget about competition and focus on teamwork. It usually yields better results and builds camaraderie much better than competition.”
I enjoy tying flies and always take some new experiments along. New materials, different color combinations, you name it. I tie on a new fly and see how it compares to my favorites. A recent experiment resulted in a big Chinook flying through a rip to take my new bait fish.
Go to relax,,,go by yourself.
Take a time out to recline and listen to the waves lapping against the bottom of the boat, while observing the insects flying overhead. How closely they resemble the flies you are using. Imagine that!
Don’t break a rod; check your rod regularly at the connections. Don’t lose a fish; check your knots regularly too…
Laugh…at yourself, your guide, your buddies, the dog, whatever.
So Simple…The older we get the more we tend to realize “Control the things you can and Forget about the things you can’t…” The moment you quit worrying about what others think, the hiccups that happen and the inconvenience’s that pop up, The Easier it becomes to relax.
Treat everyone and everything with Kindness and Patience….
Simple Rules for Amazing Outdoor Adventures..
Robert
Mend the barbs on your hooks to ensure minimial impact to the fish. Consider any fish that you don;t land a “self release” and appreciate the purity of that.
All around, great write!! The most important part is to enjoy being outdoors. If possible take a youngster or someone new to the sport to some quality water and show them how rewarding a lifetime of angling can be. Often stories of their younger days come up about how they ‘used to’ fish with their grandfater or dad. Making memories that last a lifetime. Fish are just the bonus.
Explore.
Ask your guide if there is a place he’d like to go where he doesn’t commonly take clients. To do this, you set aside the attitude of “I gotta catch a pile of fish or the day is a failure” in favor of “let’s have an adventure”. Your guide will love the exploration, and you probably will too.
Be grateful for a day on the water.
Enjoy your time with friends. Although we all enjoy a little friendly competition don’t make it the focus. Your there to relax and forget about work. Sometimes it is ok to sit down on the bank and smoke a good cigar or have a sip from your flask and enjoy watching your friends try to entice a bite.
Much like Henry David Thoreau states, “many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it is not fish they were after.”. I believe that sums it up nicely…although catching fish is a bonus on any fishing excursion.