A Lifetime Of Learning
When I was young fishing was a spinning rod, some worms and a bobber. I would hazard most that read this could relate. It is simple and effective. Like most, my first fish was some kind of a sunfish. A little bluegill or a shell cracker.
I have always taken an interest in the intricacies that exist when it comes to fishing. It started with those first fish pulling that bobber under water. I eventually graduated to actual lures. Something even today I still prefer. Less messy than the humble worm and hook. Used correctly, they can be even more effective than a live piece of bait.
As a young boy, while fishing with my Uncle Ken, I decided to throw a popper out on the water close to some lily pads. He warned me against it because I was more likely to lose the lure than to catch a fish. It was NOT top water season. I hadn't learned about seasonal changes with fish and was only just beginning to understand where fish hold. Lily pads seemed like a logic place to throw to. It's cover for fish, big and small. A young bass decided to take my popper after a couple of quick jerks. He was learning too. This was the first time I caught a bass and that event has stuck with me always.
Years later, as a teenager, my father and I began going to his boyhood haunts for the opening day of trout season here in Indiana. The last Saturday of every April from age 13 to now we have made a trip up to Valparaiso to fish Crooked Creek. There we meet up with his childhood friend, Steve, and we would make our way to try our hand at bringing home a stringer of rainbows. For years the only technique we ever really used was PowerBait trout dough balls, a hook and some sinkers. This is a very effective set up if you are able to match the color the fish are looking for. We have learned it changes from year to year, so having a stock of several colors if extremely important for a successful day.
Eventually during these trips I made the decision to try and throw an in-line spinner. I was warned it would get stuck in the rocks or the weeds. But I recalled my first bass. When tried something different and was rewarded for that change. I caught a full limit before anyone else could. And if you think about it, when there are four lines in the stream and they all have the same bait on there, putting something different in the water really kind of makes sense. Variety is the spice of life, right?
I have always taken an interest in the intricacies that exist when it comes to fishing. It started with those first fish pulling that bobber under water. I eventually graduated to actual lures. Something even today I still prefer. Less messy than the humble worm and hook. Used correctly, they can be even more effective than a live piece of bait.
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As a young boy, while fishing with my Uncle Ken, I decided to throw a popper out on the water close to some lily pads. He warned me against it because I was more likely to lose the lure than to catch a fish. It was NOT top water season. I hadn't learned about seasonal changes with fish and was only just beginning to understand where fish hold. Lily pads seemed like a logic place to throw to. It's cover for fish, big and small. A young bass decided to take my popper after a couple of quick jerks. He was learning too. This was the first time I caught a bass and that event has stuck with me always.
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Years later, as a teenager, my father and I began going to his boyhood haunts for the opening day of trout season here in Indiana. The last Saturday of every April from age 13 to now we have made a trip up to Valparaiso to fish Crooked Creek. There we meet up with his childhood friend, Steve, and we would make our way to try our hand at bringing home a stringer of rainbows. For years the only technique we ever really used was PowerBait trout dough balls, a hook and some sinkers. This is a very effective set up if you are able to match the color the fish are looking for. We have learned it changes from year to year, so having a stock of several colors if extremely important for a successful day.
Eventually during these trips I made the decision to try and throw an in-line spinner. I was warned it would get stuck in the rocks or the weeds. But I recalled my first bass. When tried something different and was rewarded for that change. I caught a full limit before anyone else could. And if you think about it, when there are four lines in the stream and they all have the same bait on there, putting something different in the water really kind of makes sense. Variety is the spice of life, right?
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More recently, I have been opened up to the world of fly fishing. What could be considered the most intricate form of fishing. First there's the fact that every fly that you put on your line has been made by hand. There is not mass production. It is an individual sitting over a hook, tying furs and feathers to it in order for it to resemble something a fish would eat. Then there's the intention and purpose behind every movement in casting and the placement of the fly on the water. It is something that calls to my sentiments when it comes to fishing overall. Getting that perfect cast and bringing a fish to hand as a result is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world to me.
Every little piece of experience I have gained, from a child to today, has lead to that perfect cast.
- WRS
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