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3. When is enough, enough?

Does anyone fish a river that most people love, but you can't buy a fish? When is it time to say, "Enough is enough!"? When is it time to just fish elsewhere.

I fish a well know steelhead river and this is the point I am at with it, or am deciding if I am at. I do not go fishing to catch fish. I have said this, and believed it for many years. I fish streamers for trout. A good day is a fish. A great day is multiple. An outstanding day is 5 or more. I am no stranger to low numbers fishing. I am actually starting to think I am a glutton for punishment, but this river has me on the brink.

This river is incredibly scenic. I can't deny that fact. Actually, that fact has kept me coming back for the last two or three years. Last year alone I put in 10-15 days on this river and not so much as a split second hookup. I am not even fishing streamers. I drift eggs and nymphs. I have fished just about every access. I have fished weekends, weekdays, first light, last light, mid day, rain, snow, hot, cold, early season, late season, spring, fall and summer. I know there are fish in there. I know lots of people who have caught fish from there. I am starting to think that this river and I just don't get along. I try to be nice to it, but just don't feel it reciprocates. I want so badly to love this river like every other person I know that fishes it. I just don't know if I can do that much longer if I don't catch anything. I think I am finally proving to myself that despite all the things I say, I do fish to catch fish. And in the end, the beauty of a river can only make me forget that for so long.

Coming into this spring season I have been thinking about this river a lot. A friend loves it and wants to fish it often. I have yet to decide if I will step foot in it this year. Maybe I just need a day or two of fish elsewhere and I will be rejuvenated and ready for a scenic hike with no expectations of fish.

I was a steelhead BUM! I tell folks I lost wives, and jobs over that steelhead! I became a steelhead guide, and lived on one of the top steelhead producing rivers in the State of WA. There were times in the Fall I could take someone through a farm field, climb a climb up into a tree, and show you a 1/2 doz. steelhead laying in a tailout. It got rather easy for me to catch steelhead on a dryline, and fish surface flies at that time of year, and I fished them all year around. What I am pointing out is I was a local. And a local that knew most every rock in the river. I would often get up in the morning, cross the street in town, and look at the water level on a rock below our small town bridge, and tell you whether we should fish up river today, or go down. That was in the Winter time. I had the best of information from how other anglers had done, and where they had fished the day before. Someone coming to my river from down the road without the info I had was at a decided disadvantage. I don't know how close to the river you steelhead, and what your level of recent info is, but it makes a huge difference to ones success.

Kyle, your story reminded me of when I started fly fishing for trout with a fly, I couldn’t buy a fish, and lord knows I spent enough money just to get started. I was lucky to catch a fish and I remember when my best days were two. The only thing that worked for me back then was swinging a streamer. If I wasn’t using a streamer I was done. One day I said to myself, to hell with this streamer crap that’s too much like bait fishing (take it easy on me guys), and I never went back. So I started throwing nymphs and I did even worse, but I never gave up. My salvation was perseverance, I wasn’t going to let these trout beat me, and over time it started to click. I went through the same process with dries. Then I started traveling to waters I’d never seen before and again it was like starting over, but now I was up and running within a day or two. That was basically learning the peculiarities between flatland freestones and mountain torrents. I have fished with others all using the same fly and the same technique in the same stretch and been out fished and the next day I’ll out fish them. I believe that no matter how good you are “some days it’s diamonds and some days it’s stones”.

Now in your case, how does one overcome an exceedingly long dry spell in which you find yourself questioning all? Kyle, all I can say is don’t give up.

This is very true. I live a good 3 hours away. I talk to locals when I can, and follow streamflows, but do not have the firsthand knowledge like you did. Obviously there is no substitute for that. If this was a matter of someone catching 10 fish every time they go out and me catching one, it would be a different story. I do not claim to be the greatest fly angler, or even a good fly angler, but I can cast, dead drift and read water. Also, I would expect the river you fished out in WA was much larger than the one I fish. Fish sit in the bottoms of deep pools or in quicker runs in this river. I fish lots of both types of water every time I go. I guess I would expect with the hours I have put in, I could at least hook one.

Falsifly - Thanks for the encouragement. I know the don't give up mentality. It was the same for me when I started trout fishing. One 8-10" fish on a prince nymph was the coolest thing I had ever seen or done.

Starting steelhead fishing was the same as trout. It took a while, but once I got it, I started catching fish. That was five years ago. This river, however, has just never clicked.

I started nymph fishing and then went to streamers. I am on a mission for big trout. It is my belief that big trout primarily eat meat. I know many on this forum consistently catch large trout on dries, but I stand by my last statement. Once I have a few 20+" trout to hand, I have a feeling I will be fishing dries...maybe just upstream from you ;)

I agree. It has just been stones for a long time on this one!

What I was going to say was basically covered by Sayfu, or at least he gives the reasons.

Your problem is not so much what you throw as where and when. You need to know steelhead and then the idiosyncrasies of the river. One thing I did, from a distance when I couldn't get info, was to drive the river and observe. and check in with anglers along the way. They may not spill their guts, but you can usually tell which ones have guts to begin with. Steelhead are migratory and you have to find them first. Presentation means nothing until then. Stay overnight bc you'll need some days to figure things out, and often will need to experience some conditions changes. And you'll want to hit the first light bite.

Never expect fish to come to you. You have to go to them and it is just plain time and effort.

As to any particular water causing "target panic". Learn to ignore it. You probably haven't given that river a real fair shake. One day of diamonds will carry you through a lot of those with only stones. But only stones and we somehow feel cheated. That's the mental game. If the river is actually a good river, you'll simply have to out your time in.

Hi Kyle,

Confidence is everything to success. Lack of it - in flies, technique, or the water - is usually a self-fulfilling prophesy. The problem is it is something that usually can't be "manufactured." The only way to get it I know of is a multi-hookup day.:) 15 days without a touch on a river three hours away? You certainly deserve high marks for perseverance, but it's pretty obvious something ain't right.

Confidence aside for the moment let's discuss first things first. Some rivers have reputations for producing very well on occasion, often for short periods out of the year. Others may not offer many banner days, but they are more consistent over a longer period. Both may have similar catch totals, but the latter is best if the former is many hours away and you can't do the fireman's drill when the call comes that "the fish are in." If the river in question rates high on the fickle meter, perhaps it's best to leave it alone. I've wasted a lot of time over the years chasing that will o the wisp. However if it has a reputation for consistency, my advice is hire a reputable guide. You'll learn what you are missing; about the water, your approach, or perhaps both. Unless the populations are very high, most good looking water will be blank. In addition techniques and flies that work for you on other rivers may not be the right medicine even if you do get over some fish.

I remember that old TV commercial for Popele's pocket fishing rod. The tag line was, "It's a lot more fun fishin' when ya catch fish!" Bottom line is are you still having fun there? If you think you'd have more fun somewhere else, you have your answer. You don't have to be a scratch golfer to enjoy the game, but it is nice to hit the ball now and then.:)

I would say that you doing one of things that you need to do to improve your flyfishing and that is, seeking advice here! Seriously, Ive been a member of this (and other ) forums for about 3 yrs now and cannot begin to tell you how invaluable a resource it is. Ive learned SO much from other members and have seen my own success rate improve dramatically over the past few seasons.

Perhaps you can also just plan to go to the river and simply watch other guys fish for awhile and try to pick up on some techniques they're using; better yet, befriend one and maybe he'll take you under his wing (so to speak)! I have met a few guys on forums and subsequently fished with them and found that, not only did I establish a new friendship (the best) but more often than not, I learned something from them and they perhaps learned a thing or 2 from me!

Good luck to you,
Adirman

One way to get ahead of the curve on any stream that is giving you fits is to go out with the best local guide you can find. Sayfu's post hints at how helpful this can be. If I were rich I've do it much more often; I always learn from guides, and usually things that generalize to other situations. But pick a guide carefully; ask around and get recommendations if you go that route.

Paul...I fished Spring Creek in PA with Louis last week and he told me pretty much the same thing...There are some fish that have found the perfect feeding lie and there isn't much you can do to trump it but walk away...Why can't I? I think us animals from the lowly trout to us humans have an obsessional quarter in our brains...Somehow maybe linked to some primative need, long sense gone...Can you recommend a good angling psychologist? :)

I met a guide in Ennis named Eric once who was a counsellor on the side...Maybe I could hunt him down.