To Catch or Not to Catch?

That is the Question! 

Howard from "Windknots and Tangled Lines" made an interesting statement on my blog the other day that I thought I would dissect a little bit in order to examine my own motives.

The statement was, “numbers and size just really don't mean much. Enjoy the experience.”

 Am I really only after big fish and numbers? I would have to take apart the question a bit and I start with the word, “Only.”

Am I “only” after the big fish? The answer is no. This year most of the fish I have caught have been smaller. In fact I caught a lot of panfish and I’m one of the only guys in my fishing circles that still has a blast with a bobber, worm and good a panfish hole. I’m not only interested in big fish, but with that said, I definitely DO want to catch some big “trophy fish.” And the idea is that I want to excel at catching fish. It’s like getting a promotion at a job or increasing your max at the gym. I want to constantly improve and attempt to master anything that I do. I am a fisherman, I catch fish. 

Am I after numbers? This year, I would have to say the answer is yes. Just being honest. I was out to prove to myself that my research thus far has paid off. Last year I learned a lot and this year I was testing my research. I feel my research paid off. Now am I only after numbers, no. However at the very least I am after one! If I don’t beat the skunk I sometimes feel like I failed. A man once said, “There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.” While Salmon fishing I remembered this quote… but then I realized I was on a boat and that made me feel better.

View from above (slip bobber at center of picture, close to top)

To be honest, it’s not always about catching fish but sometimes it is. If I went on 5 fishing trips and didn’t catch one, I would be concerned. Then again, It depends on the trip. Like there is a fishing trip that I forgot to mention a couple of Fridays ago. It was an impromptu Friday night trip to Lake Minden, the lake where my buddy Russell works. It had been a while since I had fished with him so I was looking forward to hanging with him and drinking some beers together with lines in the water. 

Two rods out in the darkness

I had a slip- bobber rig in and a bottom fishing rig in the other. I got nibbles on the slip bobber rig and nothing on the bottom feeding rig. That is until I got a big take down. I set my hook and must have pulled the hook out with the big set but that’s not the point. It would have been nice to catch a fatty catfish but I didn’t see that trip as a failure by any means. I drank beers and ate brats with my good buddy and we caught up on life. Whenever I have a trip like this one, the last thing on my mind is catching fish but catching fish is a nice little bonus! Same goes when I’m fishing with Mark or getting to know a new buddy like Jeremy or if I’m night fishing with the buddies or fishing while camping. 

Thoreau once said, “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” I know what I’m after, only sometimes is it big fish.
 

Total Fish: 0

One Year on the Fly

I just realized that as of yesterday I have been fly fishing for an entire year! It was on May 22^nd that I decided to take a trip that changed my life. I met Mark out at his place, we drove to cat creek , I held a fly rod in my hand and the rest was history. 

I knew from the moment I first held the fly rod in my hand that I was hooked! It was one of those things I feel I was destined to learn. I knew one day I would learn how to fly fish I just didn’t know how I would pick it up or how I would learn. Then Mark came along and it was over. 

Today, I enjoy fly fishing more than I do spin fishing. I will never leave spin fishing behind because love all types of fishing and want to try all of them, but fly fishing has a special place in my heart. 

As of right now, I have caught bluegill, green sunfish, crappie, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass on the fly rod. I promise that Largemouth will come soon.  And although I love catching fish, to me it’s more about learning the correct processes and flies with which to catch these fish. 

Another thing that I love about fly fishing is that it has made me more interested in catching Trout. Prior to fly fishing, I caught trout but I didn’t think they were all that great, especially when comparing them to bass and striper. But when I started fly fishing I realized the fight that they had within them when they are fighting on a fly rod. For the first time, I came to enjoy and appreciate trout.

Josh Rickard says, “One of the best reasons to fish trout are the places they thrive in,” and I completely agree with him. I have been to some beautiful places looking for trout and when I find them, it makes the entire experience even better. You know what’s even better? I have so many more beautiful places that I will discover while searching for these beautiful fish. 

In conclusion, I’m just one year into fly fishing and I know the future will bring me many more adventures, fly rod in hand. I will see beautiful places, catch more fish and enjoy every minute of this sport that we love.  This post is dedicated to fly fishing and all of my fellow fly fishers!

Post #100: How Fishing Changed My Life

We walked into a small bar and grill down the street from Kirkwood ski resort. As we sat down and had lunch I wondered how many would know the miles I had traveled for the mere pleasure of catching fish. It wasn’t only the lunch that I enjoyed but the company and the journey itself. I have been to foreign countries and different states but always for a specific purpose or passion, never for a past time. I stood outside and stretched, my lungs filling with fresh mountain air. I looked around and my eyes took in the scenery. I wondered how many locals had come to take that scenery for granted, driving by it all the time like when I drive by inundated rice fields or the Sacramento river. I was captivated by what I saw but even more by the mere fact that this hobby that had brought me out to El Dorado National Forest, a place that I have passed up on my way to Tahoe but never really appreciated.

22" Striper

First time Fly Fishing

There are many things that I never appreciated about fishing as a kid which led me to abandon this sport by the time I became a teenager. I left fishing for a life of video games, computers, vices and girls. All of these became more important to me than standing on the banks of a river with my dad occasionally catching fish. When I entered the world of higher education at CSU Chico, fishing became a distant memory of my childhood. In fact, it was replaced by going to the movies, hanging out with friends, and occasionally visiting a downtown Chico bar or two.

PB 16" Rainbow Trout

Fishing with my love

As I got older I took a job in Woodland, Ca and began the daily grind just like every other adult I knew. At this point, I was over the bar scene and the loud college kids. I adjusted to the monotony of everyday life, going to work, sitting at a desk for 8 hours staring at a computer screen and coming home to eat and then squeeze in an hour at the gym before going to sleep. My days became routine until one day  I happened to be looking out my window at work and noticed a man unloading a mammoth fish from his truck which I now know to be a white sturgeon. It’s amazing how one sight has the potential to change your life as much as the sight of that fish did to me.   To read a little more about that experience, please refer back to my first post, “Enter the Angler.”

On the surface I can say that what fishing has given me is the ability and privilege to catch hundreds of fish throughout the years. This however would be the understatement of a lifetime. As of right now fishing has given me so much more and since this is my 100^th post I figured I would cover some of the things that fishing has given me or returned to me that I would have lost had I not started fishing again.

Father and son

Pops and his first Largemouth

My first fishing pole

One thing I remember from fishing was that my old man (or Ol’ Pops as I call him) taught me how to fish. Being From El Salvador, He didn’t know anything about football or baseball and he never really taught me a whole lot about soccer either. The one sport I do remember sharing with my dad was fishing. When I was a little boy I remember him buying me a little Micky Mouse pole and then graduating to an abu Garcia rod and reel that I used until I was a teenager. 

Perhaps the most important thing that fishing gave me back was my father.  At some point when I was a teenager I thought I was too cool to hang out with my old man. Over time I noticed that our communication was stunted. We didn’t have a whole lot to talk about and so sometimes our time together was somewhat awkward especially since Ol’ Pops is kind of a quiet guy. 

18" Striper

When I came back to fishing I would often ask him to get his license and come with me but it wasn’t until I came home with an 18” striper during  summer that he decided it was time for his return. Our communication returned with old stories as well as conversation on how to catch striper.  This eventually led to conversation about things other than fishing and led to a few heart to hearts with my dad that have changed our relationship forever. On a side note,  my father had never caught a largemouth bass until I taught him what I had learned about bass. The student becomes the master! That of course is another post.

Drink one for me!

Chico buddies at Usal Beach - 3/13

I left Chico with a heavy heart. I had a large social group out there and I was coming to Woodland where I knew nobody but family. I went up to Chico to party a few times but it just wasn’t the same. After I began fishing and posting pictures of my catches, I realized most of my chico buddies were either outdoorsmen or willing/ wanting to start camping/fishing. Sure enough I began to reunite with them and continue to keep in touch with them and go camping and fishing.  

Surrounded by my best friends that I just met today

Mark from NCT

Me and Russell fly fishing the Yuba

It all started when I began blogging 100 posts ago! Specifically, my second post received two replies from two guys that have now become regulars at my blog. In those days they went by the monikers: Shoreman and Rainbow Chaser. Today they are known as Mark from Northern California Trout and Mel over at Pond stalker blog . They were my first two blog buddies and I’m proud to say they are still my good blog buddies! I have been out fishing with Mark a few times and I look forward to many more! I have yet to fish with Mel but I’m sure we will throw a fly or two in the future. After them came Shawn, Russell, Howard, Bill, Daniel, Bryan, Jay, Etc. Come to find out that fishing folks are the coolest folks you can ever meet. I never would have known this if I had not gotten into fishing. Cheers to all my current fishing friends, blog buddies and to all I will meet in the future.  

Adventures/ Scenery

Fly fishing Dry Creek

I have ventured into beautiful valleys, wonderful waterways and fished everything from clear creeks to dirty ditches. I have explored, walked and hiked to fishing spots. I have seen beautiful sunsets and driven up breathtaking mountain roads. I have camped just to fish at the crack of dawn. I have fished rivers, ponds, sloughs, lakes and the ocean. I have had the time of my life and I look forward to many more adventures and finding beauty in nature. 

 

Therapy

I have breathed deep the unpolluted air of many fishing holes. I have allowed the water to soothe my soul. I have become dazed by patterns swirling in the water until they disappear and with them my anxieties. I have read the word of God, I have listened to music, I have had heart to hearts with friends and family. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world where the worries of my work desk and home life are processed on neutral ground. The sounds of water traveling and sunsets falling have given me peace during difficult situations, allowing me to sort through issues of the day. I have learned to relax.  

Sunset over the Deep Water channel

I know this is an entire book you are reading here but if you are still with me, not just on this post, but on my blog I want to tell you that I appreciate you. My life has changed since I first stepped back out onto the banks and you have been along for the ride. You have read my experiences, given me tips and occasionally corrected me, you have commented on my words and pictures, you have gifted me flies and your time, you have fished with me and taught me more about fish. I am forever grateful to all of you who are reading this and to the sport that changed my life.

All True Gentleman Flock to Fishing

Something that I have noticed about fishing is the generosity of other fisherman. I don’t know if it is the joy of knowing another shares your passion or that all true gentleman flock to fishing but I have met nothing but nice guys in the fishing community.

Community is the only way I can describe what I have found with all the fishermen I have met. As in every community there is your occasional @$$hol3 but I will not give them any attention. I have noticed a respect, a generosity, and an understanding that we take care of our own.

I am part of a forum where one of the members made a forum called “Pay it forward.” The point is to offer up something that you have extra and give it to whoever responds. That person would then pay it forward and give something to the next member. All that to say that I responded to a gentleman who calls himself JTrick and he sent me an assortment of Steelhead Flies. The guy didn’t ask for anything in return, he even paid for postage. All I had extra was the fly fishing vest I received for my birthday (I greatly appreciated the gift; it just didn’t fit me AT ALL! That’s the only reason I gave it away, didn’t mean to be a jerk.)

Anyway, I started thinking about what it has been like to become a fisherman and join this community full of generous souls. From my buddy that gave me my first little tackle box when I came back to fishing, My buddy Sean who always took me salmon fishing and never took my gas money offers, my buddy Brian Who Blogs over at The Rogue Outdoors who sent me a bunch of awesome flies, and of course my buddy Mark who blogs over at Northern California Trout, who taught me how to fly fish, has given me flies and bought me lunch, etc. I realize that for me, fishing has been a fantastic experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I never take things for granted so if you ever shared anything with me, I greatly appreciate your generosity.

I only hope I can be as generous in my everyday life as all of you have taught me through fishing.

Fly Fishing with Mark!

Last week I wrote a blog post talking about my expectations for my fly fishing trip with Mark Kautz over at Northern California Trout. The trip not only met these expectations, it exceeded them!

I left my home in Woodland at about 540am. I took the long windy road out to Marks house and arrived at around 7:30. We then took off and started up the day with a cup o’ joe from The famous Cook’s Station which had a very nice staff. 

As I sipped my cup of coffee Professor Mark shared an impressive amount of information with me about everything from knots to fly fishing waters. I was there to learn and I knew I had come to the right place and the right person. 

After a short drive we arrived at the Middle fork of the Cosumnes River, a beautiful small stream with large boulders and tall trees nestled in a valley that looks like heaven on earth. Mark immediately pulled out the fly rod and showed me what he was talking about. Within minutes I was casting a fly rod for the first time in my life. 


We walked to the first hole. When mark took his first couple of swings I saw an unmistakable sight, a fish striking after the fly! 

I took a shot at the fly rod and within minutes I landed my first fish on the fly rod! If that had been the only fish I caught the entire time, the trip would have still been a success. But that wasn’t it, in fact, I ended up catching four that day! 

I must confess that fly fishing is more difficult than I originally thought. It certainly is more demanding than spin fishing or bait casting. I had problems with casting as I was instinctively trying my hardest to fling the line out into the middle of the river. Mark continuously reminded me to allow the weight of the line do the job.

While I was there we trekked through many yards of gorgeous untamed forest along the riverside. At one point mark fished a hole with the Tenkara Rod and I kept walking.  Each few yards were more beautiful than the next. The crisp cool air along the meandering riverside accompanied by a soft breeze hooked me just as much as the actual act of fishing. 

When I stood on a large rock and focused on my technique i realized how hard i was trying to force the line out into the middle instead of doing what Mark had told me. Instead I made myself swing the line back and forth keeping the line at 10 and 2. Slowly but surely the line made its way to the middle and I watched the fly slowly drift on top of the stream. The next cast i did the same thing. After a while I was flowing through the motions effortlessly. I was pulling line, whipping the line back and forth, stopping, watching the fly drift, watching if it sank, pulling it back in, drying it off and casting it back out. I caught another trout and I looked at mark but he wasn’t watching so I got some water on my hands, unhooked the little guy, placed him back in and continued on with the pattern. 

Although i was still having trouble with my line tangling, it was that moment of complete serenity sitting in a deep valley surrounded by walls of rock and tree that i realized that i had become a fly fisherman and although i loved spin fishing and bait casting, I wouldn’t soon be forgetting fly fishing. It had become a part of my life. Just then I got a nice bite and fought my biggest fish of the day. Although the fish wasn’t huge it still put a smile on my face. 

We drove away, had lunch and talked about fishing, life and fishing as a lifestyle. At one point i realized how much fishing has changed my life. Four years ago I was sitting at a desk and watching countless movies, hanging out with friends in the big city every weekend. Today I still sit at a desk but my weekends are spent on the water, surrounded by beautiful scenery, meeting new people i never would have met, taking trips i never would have thought of taking, learning things that I never had in the past. Oh and I also catch fish, which is a huge plus. 

We finished up the day soaking some power bait out at beautiful Silver Lake. At that point I was tired and dozing off on the drive home. Mark gave me a tour around his beautiful home. Mark is an experienced angler, a gifted teacher and a great person. He would be a great fishing guide to anybody and should probably charge folks to share his expertise. I of course say that after I already got my free lesson! haha I also just wanted to take the time to thank him and promote his outstanding blog “Northern California Trout.” 

My first experience with fly fishing was unforgettable. Now it will only be a short time before i buy a fly rod, learn from experience and research and teach everybody I know or anybody willing to learn about fly fishing, because that’s what I love doing. It was only a matter of time before I picked up fly fishing and now it has become part of my wonderful fishing way of life.