Why we guide

*One of (if not the most) rewarding experiences of my guiding career.

This past week I had the pleasure of taking Montana’s oldest registered fisherman, 94 year old T. Brown, down the Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers.  Mr. Brown has been coming out to Montana for over 50 years with his family in search of wild trout and magnificent scenery.  He was unable to come last year as a new hip was being inserted in to his remarkably young 94 year old body, and he wasn’t about to miss two years in a row.

I had heard from many of the guides who had taken him before that Mr. Brown was one of those men who you meet in life and immediately respect.  Upon our greeting I found this to be true and was looking forward to the rest of the week fishing with a man who has lived through the stories we read about in our history books.

Mr Brown could still fish at his age, and I was surprised to see how accurate and attentive he was with his casting and his ability to read the water.  I guess after that many years on the water it doesn’t matter how old you are…if a guy is fishy at 34 he’ll be fishy at 94.  The fish he hooked were all beautiful in his eyes.  Whether it was a Trout, Grayling, or a Whitefish, he appreciated each one of them as we all did when we were kids.  At times we’d pull over to re-tie and he’d stay, “Just look at these beautiful clouds.  Montana has the most amazing clouds!”  Moments like this make a guy, who was born and raised in this state, take a step and be truly thankful that I get to live in such a wonderful place.

The last day of his trip saw the two of us in the rig together for a float on the Upper Big Hole River.  As we were driving to the river he leaned over and said: “Justin, you and I are the only ones that know this, but this will be my last trip down the river.”  He went on to say that he’d become to dependant on help, and that when that time had come he knew that he needed to be done doing such a heavy activity.  About the only thing I could come up with to say was: “Well let’s end in with a bang.”  So off to the river we went.

The morning saw us hook into a few fish, but we couldn’t seem to get one into the net.  We pulled over for lunch after numerous fly changes and varied techniques for getting trout to look at the big Salmonfly pattern we were throwing.  Unphased by the slow morning, Mr Brown just looked around and made comments on the clouds, wildflowers, birds, and gave a cheerful greeting to each boat that passed us on their way down river.  It amazed me how upbeat he was after such a slow morning…on his last day.  More determined than ever, we shoved off shore and began fishing.

A few yards down after lunch we had our first real eat of the day.  A 19″ brown came to the top of the water and slammed his Salmonfly.  Just like he’d done thousands of times before, Mr Brown set the hook and the battled commenced.  The fish ripped down stream and we began chasing it with the boat.  After a few more feet the line went limp and our hearts sank.  What had gone wrong?  Both he and I had though that he’d hooked it well and couldn’t figure out what the trout had gotten off.  Discouraged he reeled his line up and when he got all the slack out we found that the fish was still on the line!  He had made a direct B-Line to us after that long run downstream, and that’s when the line went slack.  After a few minutes of playing the fish, Mr Brown had this beautiful trout in the net.  After removing the hook and releasing the fish, he looked at me and said: “You’ve just made my day.”  My heart warmed at his words, and wanted to get him into another even more than before.

We fished hard for the next three hours managing a few small fish and had a few other takes.  Not what we had expected after the big one right after lunch, and to make matters worse it began to rain.  The rain kept coming and he didn’t want to nymph, and we were about ready to row in when I asked him if he’d ever fish with streamers before.  Surly I thought that he must have after all theses years, but he looked at me and said he’d never tried them before.  So we pulled over, put our rain jackets on, and shoved off with a JJ Special and an Olive and Black Wolly Bugger tied on the end of his rod for the very first time.

After a few banks were a little teaching was required, Mr Brown had the technique down and I was hoping like heck that he’d get a fish to chase his fur.  A little while later this line went tight and Mr Brown landed his first fish on a streamer in 94 years!  What a feeling, to teach a 94 year old fisherman something he’s never done before, watch him pick it up with ease, and proceed not only to catch that fish, but many more the rest of that day.  It was a neat scene watching him sit in the front of the boat, in the pouring rain, with a smile from ear to ear just like a kid on his first fishing trip.

As we fished the streamer and I told him were to put it, he said that all these years of fishing he’d never caught a fish under a tree.  Everyone he’d ever fished with had told him to throw his dry fly under the tree limbs, but he could never get a fish to look at it.  About 50 yards above our takeout was a long willow lined bank that looked perfect for his streamers.  I told him that we were going to throw that rig under the first willow and let that thing float all the way down along the bank and try and get him that elusive tree fish.  Mr Brown saw the pocket and slung the streamers in there perfectly.  About 2/3 of the way down the bank his line went tight.  I immediately thought that he was hung on a branch as his bugs were deep under the willows.  As we kept floating by the line kept coming with us, and lo and behold on the end of his line was a 16″ rainbow trout that we landed just feet from the takeout. On his last cast of his last trip, he finally got that talked about and often fished for trout under the trees.

I don’t know if I’ll ever have a more rewarding experience than those last few hours on the Big Hole with Mr Brown.  It seemed as though every cast he made was perfect, the fish responded, and I got to witness the joy that fishing brings to people of all ages.  We as guides are able to experience a lot of different things while guiding clients down the rivers here in Montana and all over the world.  And on this day, I can truly say that days like this are the reason why we guide.

Thanks T.C

Justin

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Cliff Outdoors “Justin Case”

Cliff Outdoors bomb proof streamer box.

For a few seasons now I have been in search of a streamer box that would hold a lot of flies, be waterproof, air tight, and keep the bugs in place as it gets transferred from the boat to the pickup and back again.  There isn’t anything more frustrating than opening a box you painstakingly organized by size, species, color, etc, only to find them in a jumbled heap in the center of the box in mass chaos.  Many boxes claim to have all or some of the before mentioned attributes, but no box that I have ever tried has come close to matching The Justin Case by Cliff Outdoors.

I received this box in the mail about two weeks ago, and upon opening the package I was immediately struck by the visual durability of the box.  My “cover check” quality analysis was affirmed when I opened the beefy hatches that keep the waterproof seal locked tightly in place, and took my first look at the durable foam that is the resting place for those costly and effective streamers.

Cliff included an instruction sheet on how to properly place the shank of the fly into the foam to ensure proper hold and foam longevity.  The box is about the size of a large notebook measuring 13″ X 10 1/2″ X 4 1/2″.   After the first few flies were in place I was rolling -  placing nice, tight, organized rows of fur that stayed in place after may attempts to shake and slap the sides of the box to see if I would again end up with a jumbled mess.  Not this time.  The streamers didn’t move an inch.  After about a dozen days on the water I can say that this box will last me many seasons and keep those big valuable bugs in factory condition until they get inhaled by an aggressive trout.

With a price tag of $98.00, other boxes may cost less, but with the major investment anyone has in large flies, a quick rainstorm can ruin the cheaper box and its contents in seconds.  The money saved on a less expensive box will be spent twice over replacing the flies lost or ruined.

Overall, I would say that this box is a must for any streamer or big bug enthusiast looking to provide their own “warranty” against mother nature and the wild cards we all get while trout fishing.

Justin

May 7, 2010

The flies you need to have in your box on May 15, 2010.

Beaverhead River

Soft Hackle Sow Bug:  This pink body, white hackled sow bug is a must for early season fishing on the Beaverhead River.  At size 16, it is a heavy wired fish fooler that imitates scuds, caddis, and packs a protein punch that trout can not resist early in the year.  Pink is a great color on the Beav during the months of April – May.

Scuds: Olive, pink, orange, and gray are the colors of choice.  Don’t be afraid to throw some bigger sizes (14, 16) throughout the day as fish look to stockpile energy and fat that has been depleted during the winter months.  Scuds and sow bugs are a staple on most tailwaters throughout the country.  The Beaverhead water system is heavily saturated with these trout favorites.

Pheasant Tails: An all around use bug that imitates a variety of hatches.  Sizes 16-20 are the most effective pattern sizes as fish target drifting BWO and PMD nymphs.  When fish “get off” the sow bugs and grubs, PT’s are the next best bet for consistent hookups.  It’s your choice as far as whether a beaded or non beaded fly is tied on the end of the line.  Some swear by tungsten weighted beads, and others say just use more lead to get the nymphs down quicker.  Another tip: olive pt’s are a great alternative from the standard pt.

Serendipity’s: Another all around use bug that imitates caddis, mayflies, beatis, and beaten up midges.  Sizes ranging from 16-20 in olive, red, black, tan, and green are the best options.  This may be a forgotten or less fished fly in recent past, but the fish eat it just as well today as they did 10 years ago.

Go to colors: If nothing seems to be going on and you’re searching for a pattern, go with nymphs in sizes 16-20 in PINK and OLIVE.

Big Hole River

Pat’s Rubberleg Stone: A definite go to fly that needs to stocked in plenty in any Big Hole fly box.  Brown and black are the standard colors, and sizes 4-10 in each color will entice fish depending on the time of year.  The closer we get to June, the bigger and blacker the bug should become.  As of this week, a size 4 brown and size 6 black stone have been working the best.  The superfloss legs give this bug great realism and have been known to entice trout by great numbers.

Prince Nymph: Another all around bug that has been working on the Big Hole for years.  Prince Nymphs work well on all freestone streams, as they are often packed with stoneflies, drakes, march browns, caddis, and a host of other freestone river insects.  Sizes 10-18 are the sizes of choice, and with the March Browns approaching, a size 12-14 will work perfectly.  As with the pt’s, a bead or non bead is your choice, but on the fast flowing Big Hole, a tungsten bead is recommended.

Yellow Streamers:  Yellow yummies, zonkers, or any yellow tinted streamer is the ticket early season.  The water is a little off colored all year as the Big Hole is known for it’s famous “tea” color, and the yellow color is highly visible and brown trout will attack it vigorously.  Stripped, dead drifted, or swung through riffles and pools will take fish.  A Big Hole River Staple.

Yuk Bugs:  The standard yuk bug and the pepperoni yuks are one of the most versatile flies on the river.  As with a streamer, they can be pumped, dead drifted, swung, or jammed into pockets where fish has only seconds to determine whether or not they are going to eat this highly enjoyable looking meal.  Olive, black, and orange colors are the ticket year round in sizes 4-10.

Go to Colors: Yellow and Red.  Bright colors that attract fish and can be seen in off colored water.  Other bugs to consider in these colors are copper johns, lightning bugs, and soft hackles.

April 3, 2010

The following article was written by Bob Wire in response to another article proclaiming praise and satisfaction for Northern Pike.  Pike have been seen in the Clark Fork River by Missoula for years, and last year MT FWP reported shocking counts of many Pike found in the Jefferson River system.  Because fish move great distance in search of food and new territory, there is concern that these extremely vicious fish will move into the Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers.  Put to a stand off, a Northern will win every time against a trout in a battle for food and territory…and most of the time the Pikes food are the trout we long to catch.

BOB WIRE HAS A POINT (IT’S UNDER HIS COWBOY HAT)

Northern Pike: A**holes of the Fishing World

What’s next? Catfish in Rock Creek?
By Bob Wire, 3-18-10

	Hey! Don’t talk with your mouth full.

Are you a trout fisherman? If so, I hope you savor every cast, every strike, every last fish you bring to the net between now and the day you lay down your rod for good. Enjoy these sleek, spirited gamefish that help make Montana one of the finest fishing destinations in the world. Because your children will be pike fishermen.

Thursday’s Missoulian featured an entertaining story by Joe Nickell, chronicling his guided float down the Bitterroot River to fish for pike. From the perspective of a fly fisherman attempting to hook one of these “freshwater barracudas” (as Joe aptly put it), it was well done. To this third generation Montana trout fisherman who is teaching the sport to his own son, the story pissed me off to no end.

It’s not the writer; it’s certainly not Joe’s guide, Bitterroot River master Jack Mauer; it’s not even the largemouth bass (say what?) they found in the river that chaps my hide. What really steams my olives is the northern pike, the flaming asshole of the aquatic world. With its surly underbite and rapacious appetite, this pugnacious intruder is laying waste to the trout population of Western Montana with such ruthless efficiency, it makes whirling disease look like a paper cut by comparison.

In his story, Nickell touches on the subject of the pike’s introduction to Montana waters, and Mauer even mentions that the imported predator is having a negative impact on trout populations in the Bitterroot. They didn’t go into detail, though; that wasn’t the focus of the article. But I can tell you from firsthand experience that these toothy eating machines are a big problem. Like cable television shows about jobs nobody wants, they seem to have multiplied over the last few years. Only the pike will not be replaced during the summer with reruns of “Ice Road Truckers.” Western Montana is lousy with pike. On the conservation scale, they’re at the complete opposite end from “endangered.” They’re on the end of the scale that says “They’re everywhere—there’s probably one or two of them in the room with you right now.”

My wife Barb and I were enjoying some time alone together on the Clearwater River’s four-mile canoe trail last summer. She lazily paddled in the back, while I lazily cast a small Panther Martin spinner from the front. It was a sunny, early summer afternoon and we were thoroughly digging the scenery, the quietude, and each other. Then I hooked a pike. I never got him into the boat, but it looked to be the size of a car bumper. He wound up towing us all the way into Seeley Lake, with Barb waterskiing behind the canoe for the last half-mile.

Like most trout fishermen, I’m disgusted with the so-called bucket biologists who have introduced the northern pike to our lakes and rivers that up to now have been crammed with trout. Yes, I’m aware that only the Westslope Cutthroat and the bull trout are true natives, but the addition of browns, brookies and rainbows just brought more fun to the party. Lake trout? Not so much. They’re also predacious, feasting on the fry of other, more neighborly trout. The lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush, or “spotted douche bag”) population in Flathead Lake has mushroomed to the point where the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes host an annual tournament, Mack Days, to encourage anglers to keep as many as 50 lake trout apiece every day for a month. No one I talked to had any hard numbers on the effect Mack Days has had on reducing the lake trout population, but once a non-native, predatory species is introduced, you can’t unring that bell. Just ask Sacagawea.

At least the lake trout looks like a trout. The northern pike (Esox lucius, literally “delicious stockings”) looks like a dragon that swallowed a fire extinguisher. We are talking about one repugnant beast, and it has an attitude to match. They just don’t belong here. In Montana, they are native only in the Saskatchewan River drainage in eastern Glacier Park. Marine biologists tend to agree that it was sometime in the 1950’s that the first pike were brought to western Montana waters, and my guess is that it was probably courtesy of some Schlitz-guzzling worm fisherman. Now they can be found in every single drainage west of the Divide. Same goes for the pike.

I spoke with Ladd Knotek of the Missoula office of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Dept., and his outlook for the containment of the spread of northern pike in Western Montana is downright grim.

“People don’t grasp the fact that once they’re in there, it’s impossible to get them out. And they’re there forever,” he said. You know, like herpes. Currently, the worst situation, pike-wise, seems to be the Clearwater River drainage and its chain of lakes stretching from Rainy Lake, north of Seeley, all the way down to Salmon Lake, just a few miles north of where the Clearwater dumps into the Blackfoot River. Salmon Lake, in fact, has become known more for pike than for trout. Native bull trout used to thrive in the lake, but the only bull trout that are found now are the juveniles in the bellies of the northern pike.

They’re also known as the American pike, the common pike, the slough shark, or the Rahm Emanuel of the sea. This crocodile-faced critter is a voracious predator that will eat anything that moves: fish, frogs, insects, ducklings, and very small moose. Interestingly, the only fish that seems to be safe from their massive, bristling jaws is the pumpkinseed fish. The pumpkinseed, which sounds like it was named by an interior decorator, is flat and round, like a bluegill, and if you’ve ever tried to take one off your hook, you know it has a stiff row of what feels like sewing needles along its back. Since the northern pike will eat any living thing from a deerfly to your neighbor’s cat, it can live without the pumpkinseed fish.

The very presence of northern pike in the Bitterroot River should send a chill down the spine of anyone who is interested in seeing Montana’s blue ribbon trout fisheries managed successfully. Any waterway that has backwaters and eddies, like the lower Bitterroot, will probably have pike, said Knotek. They’re able to spawn and thrive among the aquatic vegetation in the slower, warmer water. Thick weeds and underwater plants also provide cover so they can hang back and wait to lunge at their prey, like state troopers parked behind an overpass on the freeway.

Fishing derbies like Mack Days are not necessarily a good idea for managing the pike population, Knotek explained. It’s a paradox: if we try to encourage more anglers to fish for pike, in a few years they’ll be clamoring for a managed pike fishery, he said.

There is some hope, if Montana fishermen are willing to take some steps in the right direction. In some states, like Maine and California, where the northern pike is not native, fishermen are required to remove the heads of any pike they catch. I say let’s take it a step further, and put those heads on a small stake at the edge of the water, as a warning to other pike.

Also, pike can be easily damaged if handled. If you grab them with dry hands, you can wipe off the mucous on their skin that protects them from infection. Here’s an idea: if you land a pike, grab that thing with a sheet of 80-grit sandpaper. Then punch it in the face before you throw it in the bushes. Believe me, they have it coming.

Fish tagging project on the Big Hole River

A Floy Tag found on a Rainbow Trout in the Big Hole River.

While fishing the Big Hole River this season you may notice that a few fish have a weird looking blue tag sticking out from behind their dorsal fin.  No, they don’t have a fly stuck in their back, but they do have an FWP Floy identification tag that was either placed there this spring or last fall. Beginning in the fall of 2009, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks in cooperation with the Big Hole River Foundation and the Big Hole Watershed Committee initiated a tagging study on the Big Hole River. The primary purpose of the study is to quantify rainbow and brown trout movement and growth in the river from Jerry Creek to the confluence with the Beaverhead River.

It is anticipated that the study will last four years and that at least 10,000 fish will be tagged. This past fall nearly 2,000 fish were tagged in the three sections. This may sound like a lot of fish but with a study reach over 60 miles long, the percentage of tagged fish in the river will likely be between 5
and 15 %.

Record the numbers on the tag: FWP M 00808

Upon catching one of these fish DO NOT remove the tag.  The tags may be covered in a bit of moss, so gently remove the moss to reveal the ID number.  FWP would like to know the number on the tag, size of the fish, where it was caught, date, species, if the fish was kept or released, and any other information you deem necessary to help them locate the fish.  The in turn will send you a reply telling you when then shocked the fish, where they tagged it, how big it was, and any other information they have on the trout.  Send information to Fish Wildlife and Parks in Butte (1820 Meadowlark Lane, 59701).

Other studies like this have been done on the Yellowstone and the information that has come in has been fascinating.   In October of 2004 a 25.2 in, 6.2 lb brown trout was captured and tagged just downstream of the bridge at Big Timber. On 8/10/05 the same fish was caught by an angler and released in the exact location where it was tagged nearly one year earlier.
It measured just over 26 in at that time. A little over one month later on 9/17/05 the same fish was caught and released again approximately 60 miles upstream near the Loch Levan Fishing Access site. So at times we may think we know where a certain fish hangs out, and this study is sure to show just how much trout do travel.

To read more on the subject, read FWP Biologist Jim Olsen’s report on pages 4 and 5 in last fall’s Big Hole River Foundation Newsletter.

The following is a true? story from a river bank in Montana…

A Jack Daniels Fishing Story

I went fishing last night during a full moon but after a short time I ran out of my favorite streamers. Then I saw a rattlesnake with a mouse in his mouth. Mice are good big trout bait during a full moon too.  Knowing the snake couldn’t bite me with the mouse in his mouth I grabbed him right behind the head, took the mouse, and put it in my fly box.

Now the dilemma was how to release the snake without getting bit. I grabbed my bottle of Jack Daniels and poured a little whiskey in its mouth.  His eyes rolled back and he went limp. I released him into the river without incident and carried on fishing using the mouse.

A little later, I felt a nudge on my foot. There was that same snake with two mice in his mouth. Life is good in Montana!

Clean Angling

March 22, 2010

At the beginning of this month we had our annual FOAM meeting in Bozeman, MT.  One of the speakers was from Center for Aquatic Nuisance Species located in Livingston, Montana.  He gave a great report on what ANS are doing to the waters we love to fish and their impact on the bug life, fish, and Eco Systems associated with each water.  Let me tell you it was an EYE OPENING experience.  Probably like most of you, I had heard of things like Didymo and Mud Snails, but had never really given them much thought, nor ever considered Montana becoming infected with these species.  I was wrong.  There is usually no solution for dealing with a nuisance species after it is established in the wild, and we need to do all we can to help prevent their spread to all waters in the United States.

On the CANS website, you can find a lot of information about different types of ANS, and what we can do help stop or limit their spread.  One small thing we can all do is take the Clean Angling Pledge to hold ourselves accountable to do as little transfer of ANS as possible from one stream to the next.  If you have not heard, there is a motion set forth by Trout Unlimited to outlaw felt wading boots by 2011.  Simms Fishing Products has jumped ahead of the motion and has discontinued felt soles all together this year, and have worked tirelessly to develop “sticky rubber” soled boots and shoes.  In their presentation, a study of felt soled boots vs rubber boots was given to demonstrate the harmful effects felt brings to the fishing world.  Felt traps dirt, grime, sand, and other ANS so well that even after a thorough washing in disinfectant, the majority of the grime was still trapped deep with the felt fibers.  Rubber on the other hand was clean of almost all harmful species just after a quick rinse, and 100% gone after they were allowed to dry.  I had heard how bad felt was, but never knew how bad it REALLY was. Tight Line Adventures has taken the clean angling pledge and hope that you guys will too.  In the end we are all here for the fish and for the rivers.  If our rivers become infected with Aquatic Nuisance Species, then we’ll all be left standing on the side of our favorite trout stream, rod in hand, staring at a river covered in moss and snails where fresh clean water trout used to live.  Let’s all do our part to insure that this does not happen.

Justin

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

After a week of fishing the Beaverhead and Poindexter Slough, we have narrowed down some flies the fish seem to be keying in on.

Nymphs:

Soft Hackle Sow Bug (Pink) - Size 16

CDC Red Lightning Bug Soft Hackle – size 16

Grey Ray Charles – Size 18

Assorted Midge Larva (Black, Olive) - Sizes 18, 20, 22

Flashback PT’s – Size 18, 20

Streamers:

Black/Olive – Size 4, 6

Black – Size 4, 6

Yellow Yummy – Size 4, 6

Dries:

We have seen fish eat a dry here or there but nothing too consistent to have a detailed report.  Small midge patters like an Adams or even a Trico imitation will take rising fish.

There are other flies that will take fish aside from these bugs.  However, we have found over the past week that the above selection is your best bet for fishing consistency.

Monday, February 22, 2010

FWP SEEKS COMMENT ON EA FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO GLEN FISHING ACCESS SITE ON BIG HOLE RIVER

 BOZEMAN— Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks seeks public comment on a draft environmental assessment for proposed improvements to the Glen Fishing Access Site on the Big Hole River 19 miles north of Dillon.

 The installation of a new concrete bridge on Burma Road over the Big Hole River resulted in difficulty accessing the existing boat ramp. The proposed project would relocate the boat ramp and access road farther downstream for easier access, and to mitigate erosion and better define roads and parking. The new boat ramp would be single-wide and concrete with a gravel cul-de-sac. Six new campsites would be added, one at the reclaimed existing boat ramp access road and five at other locations within the site. New prefabricated fire rings and picnic tables would be placed at existing primitive campsites. Barrier rocks would be placed to delineate roadways and parking.

 The draft environmental assessment is available in Bozeman at the FWP regional office (1400 S. 19^th Ave.), FWP’s Headquarters in Helena (1420 E. 6^th Ave.), or on FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov under Recent Public Notices.

 Comments on the Glen Fishing Access Site environmental assessment will be accepted until 5 p.m. on March 22, 2010, and should be mailed or emailed to:

 Glen FAS EA

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

1400 South 19th Ave.

Bozeman, MT 59718

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Maturation of an Angler

By Justin Hartman

Sitting in a rower’s seat watching hundreds of anglers fish each season and growing up in Montana where you’ll find folks fishing even in the month of January, I’ve come in contact with fishermen of all different skill levels.  I have watched novice anglers become great anglers in just one season, and watched the joy of an experienced angler as he sees his grandson catch a fish for the very first time.  Each level of angling is different but holds tremendous gratification for those working their way through the process.  We may not realize it, but along the way we are growing as anglers, progressing through a maturation process that redefines our ability and refines our spirit.

It is intriguing to watch an angler grow and mature throughout their career, and the following is my take on that maturation.

The Learning Stage

As we begin our careers on the water, like any venture we pursue, there is a lot to learn.  Even though we never stop learning in this sport, the initial learning curve is steep and loaded with information.  Casting, drifts, fly selection, reading water, knots, terminology, and much more are absorbed in this stage.  After learning as much as we can take before needing to get on the water, our main goal is just to catch “A” fish.  It does not matter what kind, type, size, or even how we do it, we just want to feel that fish on the end of our line. We’ve learned enough to fool a fish into eating the imitation we chose, tied on, drifted, hooked, and landed.  There is a lot of excitement in this stage as we’re putting together the information we’ve absorbed as we become more engrossed in the world of fishing.  As they say “The Tug is the Drug.”  Fishermen grow and stay in the learning stage until we begin to feel the need to count the number of fish we are catching.

The Numbers Stage

As soon as we’ve become comfortable enough using the basic techniques to catch “A” fish, the next stage an angler enters is the Numbers Stage.  Now it’s all about pure fish numbers.  Some are targeting only a certain type/species of fish, but others feel each fish is just as good as the next.  You’ll often hear people say they caught “X” amount of fish today as they go on to tell you about the other times they were out and “hammered” them, recalling each number of fish caught no matter how long ago the exhibition occurred.  This angler is in the Numbers Stage.  The joy of feeling a fish on the end of the line is addicting and the angler lives to catch as many fish as possible.  This also instills great confidence in a newly formed angler, thus making the transition between the Learning Stage and the Numbers Stage the quickest of all the stages.  Beginner success is defined in numbers, not the mastery of techniques.  Ironically though as quickly as anglers get here, some won’t leave this stage for years, or never leave at all.

The Size/Hunting Stage

As soon as an angler catches a fish of respectable size for its species and puts it back wishing it were bigger, they have entered the Size Stage, or as I like to call it, the Hunting Stage.  In this progression the only thing on an angler’s mind is big fish, not big numbers.  As we all know, big fish live in places that force us to hunt and seek them out, all the while passing up most of the “fishy” looking water that we normally would have fished in the previous stage.  During this time our thoughts and techniques are geared toward how to entice those lurking monsters that haunt our dreams, and we’ll switch colors and sizes and techniques in attempts to figure out what will turn on the aggressive eat that only big fish can provide.  In this stage, catching fish is still a priority, and when hunting big fish we often take breaks just to feel a fish on the end of our rod.  Quickly we remember our main goal, however, especially after catching a few fish that are not up to standard.  Coming into this stage most anglers have become pretty good fishermen.  Most have started doing things on instinct rather than because it’s what a book/video told them.  They have developed techniques unique to their own style, and are confident in their angling ability.  No one ever leaves this stage. Big fish hold mythical prowess in an angler’s heart, and despite the fact that we adjust its importance in our approach to fishing, deep down we always love catching big fish.

The Mastery Stage

If you’ve ever watched an angler stand in a stream and cast to a rising fish for hours upon hours with pure bliss and admiration even without the slightest hint of success, you have witnessed an angler in the Mastery Stage.  Catching a fish that refuses to eat an artificial imitation with even the smallest difference in color, size, drag in our drift; or just ignores every attempt we pass over its nose is a fish worthy of the Mastery Stage.  Fish tucked into tight pockets that require a perfect cast or drift, educated fish, and the “uncatchable” fish become the new pursuit in our angling maturation.  Through years of practice the Mastery Angler has perfected the skills necessary to be successful in this stage.   Anglers here seek rivers and places that hold educated and stubborn fish and relish the fact they are able to catch a fish few others can or have.  In this stage the angler gets just as much satisfaction as anglers in the previous stages.  Each angler in the Mastery stage has covered each prior period thoroughly and has experienced the joy each stage has to offer.  They recognize the gratification obtained through the quality of the fishing experience over the actual completion of landing a fish.  Numbers and size do not matter, just the circumstances and demands surrounding one particular fish.

The Teaching Stage

The transition between the Mastery Stage and the Teaching Stage is also relatively quick.  Once an angler has caught a few of those uncatchable fish, the only remaining way to land a fish successfully is to help someone else achieve the task.  As with most professions, the teacher is normally the one who has the most knowledge in the particular subject at which they teach.  During this stage of angling, an angler gets just as much satisfaction, and I would argue sometimes more satisfaction, watching/helping someone catch a fish.  As a teacher it is just as fun to help someone experience the excitement as they travel through the above stages, as it was when we were going through them ourselves.  Helping someone develop a deep passion for the sport that helps keep them going back to the water each season is a reward only known during this stage.  The good thing about fishing is that we never stop learning.  Teachers learn from each angler they help just as the student learns from the teacher.  During this period a trip to the water is really all we need to have a successful day.  Memories of seasons past, fish caught, stories told, and the anticipation of the memories still to come fill the heart more than any number or size of fish could.  An angler in this stage still loves to fish, but personally catching a fish is no longer the driving force for getting on the water.  Anglers that reach the Teaching Stage never leave.  Fishing for ourselves is still fun, but after a few fish we don’t feel the same satisfaction as when we’ve helped someone else become successful.  Once a teacher, always a teacher.

Conclusion 

We all float back and forth between these stages during our maturation process.  We wouldn’t be anglers if we stopped fishing or became too concentrated in one area.  An angler in the Learning Stage could take a stay in the Teaching Stage if the circumstances allowed.  They may have more experience than the person they are helping, but are in no way willing or able to stay in the Teaching Stage.  Big fish hunters can become Mastery Anglers if the right situation presents itself.  But after casting too many times to a selective fish without success, the desire for big fish swells and we return to hunting.  Numbers anglers can become big fish hunters for a short time.  However, big fish are big for a reason and after a while without catching a fish, they are back to counting numbers.  That’s the beauty of the maturation process.  We can experience every stage and get the satisfaction that each stage brings, but always return home to the stage where we feel most comfortable. 

In conclusion the stages are simply defined as this. 

Learning Stage: Catch “A” Fish

 Numbers Stage: Catch a lot of Fish

 Size/Hunting Stage: Catch Big Fish

Mastery Stage: Catch the Uncatchable Fish

Teaching Stage: Help Someone Catch “A” Fish