somewhere between "a lot" and "big."

yrs-
Evan!

One worthwhile fish, not necessarily a big one, can make for a full day. I would rather get a fish on the line that shows some spunk and puts up a fight than a lathargic lunker. However, the more the merrier...

Lately, it's been at catch a fish, but that's what I get for targeting a species of fish that may not exist in the body of water that I've been targeting. I gave that up so I'm back to catching anything and this weekends seasonably really cold weather might just work out well enough for me.

I want to catch wild fish on my terms. Controling everything I can, adapting to what I can not.

I feel the "how" is just as important as the "what"

Having only pursued fish on a fly for the past couple of years and regularly only recently, I'm somewhere in a lot of fish to one big fish stage. As a beginner flyfisherman it was more like, "Wow a fish!" then "Hey, this really works!", I can see how the cycle repeats from there. It seems to reflect the stages of my spin fishing career and now I can be in any of those moods at any moment. I think that's what has recently led me to the long rod.

I knew a guy who claimed, and put into practice, that:

"I don't care if I catch a fish - I just want to use a cool fly."

I just want to be on the water, fishing. A lot of fish and big fish fish enhance the experience. Since I primarily fish freshwater in VA, I feel like my next phase is "fishing for the cycle" - alot of different fish in differnt places.

There's one more step:
I see the dimples of a trout rising again and again. I NEED to drop my #16, hand-tied fly right on the bull's-eye and have that trout suck it under in less than a heartbeat. Then we get to see what size there is.

What a coincidence, this very discussion came up the other day while fishing the Los Angeles River for Carp. We hadn't hooked up all morning, when I turned to him and said, after his apologies for the lack of interest by the Carp for our flies, that it wasn't about the fish; I had just practiced my double hauling and could now shoot the line across to the bushes on the other side. For me the process over the years has been nothing more than education. Each cast, each fly, every step into the river is about learning. Everything I do on the water, at the vice or in a shop revolves around educating myself. When I cast and there's no hook up, I try to 'figure out' what it is incorrect or how can I improve. I use each cast as a learning experience. I told my friend each time I'm on the water I do nothing put practice, if I catch a fish that's just an extra bonus. Don't get me wrong, I love the tug and strive for the catch, but it is the experience that holds my attention more so than the count.

I just want to catch a fish. If that first fish happened to be a monster there would be no complaints. Until then I will continue to practice and learn.

Ask twice, 5 minutes apart, and I might be at different stages.