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john montana
I grew up in Montana...it was very simple out there.
"Show not tell."
I pretty much live by that.
"Show not tell."
I pretty much live by that.
Why such a closely guarded secret?
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OnTheDrop
john montana said:
Thats a good one. You guys got it dialed over there. Hitting the blackfoot next summer!
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eggs
great motto!john montana said:
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waco
Because is like you found a gold mine! You want to tell everybody and run out of gold quick or keep it to your self and get gold whenever you want?
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OnTheFly
Is that where former president Clinton got that idea from? No wait....that was don't ask don't tell.....never mind.john montana said:
GungasUncle
While public spots might be "well known" - sometimes it's surprising how public spots are overlooked. The place he showed you might well be one of those public places where people might occasionally wet a line right by the road - but don't venture far from the car, or it gets used more by picnickers, hikers, and photographers rather than fisherman. One of my absolute most favorite small streams to fish runs parallel to a very busy highway. People see this stream every day, passing by on their way to fish larger, better known waters with bigger fish. In the fifteen years that I've been fishing this spot - I can count on one hand the number of anglers I've actually met on this stretch. I've discussed fishing this stretch with other folks (who brought the particular spot up themselves) - but I've never seen them astream. Telling the wrong person about it (that person being a blabbermouth or someone who just has to show everyone and his cousins the spot) or posting specific places on the internet can ruin that in a heartbeat. I know other people use this stream area. I have picked up their trash. I've picked flies out of trees, and spinners out of the rocks.
I have taken a couple of people fishing in this spot, under the condition that they keep quiet about specifics. I was much more free with exact places when I was younger, and I've wound up crowded out, or the fishing went to crap because of other people fishing the same spots because these overlooked public waters became much more used by the public. I kick myself for posting those specific places now.
Same goes for certain fisheries on very well known, widely used public water. For instance, one body of water I fish has a population of crappie. Large crappie at that (largest I personally pulled out was 13 inches, and my friend whom I fish this fishery with pulled one that was a hair over 14) - but not in huge numbers. This same water body is host to all sorts of panfish, bass and big trout. Those are the big draws. But there's a lot of people who would target the crappie and decimate the fishery in half a season. The guys who drive to Brownlee every spring would take fewer trips and fish closer to home, and fill their coolers here instead of there. And it'd only take a few cooler fulls of fish in this particular water to destroy the crappie fishery, which only in the last few years has seemed to blossom in this place. I've found spots on this water body on my own, and was shown by my friend places I'd overlooked. I've heard people talking about this fishery, and seen a number of posts on places like iFish asking about this fishery. It worries me to the point where I simply don't talk about this place at all and try to steer people to other places with larger crappie populations. Public water, yup. Doesn't mean I want to fish elbow to elbow with the rest of the public. It gets bad enough when the stocking trucks arrive, or when the bass are on their spawning beds.
Folks just don't respect other peoples space as much as they used to, and the "me me me" generation has learned how to fish - and they don't care if you were there first, if you did the legwork to find these "secret" places, they're all about their own success and they'll shove you right out, cast over your line, make a ruckus and spook the fish, etc. It's just not fun to fish like that.
If you need further evidence - go read the iFish general discussion forum, read the reports people post - then take a drive to the same places and look at all the cars - even on the weekdays now. One hot report sends people flocking. Sharing a honey hole openly that was previously overlooked will result in hundreds of people finding out about it, and likely at least dozens more using the spot afterward. Can't take anything back that was published to the internet - it's out there forever, in searchable form.
I have taken a couple of people fishing in this spot, under the condition that they keep quiet about specifics. I was much more free with exact places when I was younger, and I've wound up crowded out, or the fishing went to crap because of other people fishing the same spots because these overlooked public waters became much more used by the public. I kick myself for posting those specific places now.
Same goes for certain fisheries on very well known, widely used public water. For instance, one body of water I fish has a population of crappie. Large crappie at that (largest I personally pulled out was 13 inches, and my friend whom I fish this fishery with pulled one that was a hair over 14) - but not in huge numbers. This same water body is host to all sorts of panfish, bass and big trout. Those are the big draws. But there's a lot of people who would target the crappie and decimate the fishery in half a season. The guys who drive to Brownlee every spring would take fewer trips and fish closer to home, and fill their coolers here instead of there. And it'd only take a few cooler fulls of fish in this particular water to destroy the crappie fishery, which only in the last few years has seemed to blossom in this place. I've found spots on this water body on my own, and was shown by my friend places I'd overlooked. I've heard people talking about this fishery, and seen a number of posts on places like iFish asking about this fishery. It worries me to the point where I simply don't talk about this place at all and try to steer people to other places with larger crappie populations. Public water, yup. Doesn't mean I want to fish elbow to elbow with the rest of the public. It gets bad enough when the stocking trucks arrive, or when the bass are on their spawning beds.
Folks just don't respect other peoples space as much as they used to, and the "me me me" generation has learned how to fish - and they don't care if you were there first, if you did the legwork to find these "secret" places, they're all about their own success and they'll shove you right out, cast over your line, make a ruckus and spook the fish, etc. It's just not fun to fish like that.
If you need further evidence - go read the iFish general discussion forum, read the reports people post - then take a drive to the same places and look at all the cars - even on the weekdays now. One hot report sends people flocking. Sharing a honey hole openly that was previously overlooked will result in hundreds of people finding out about it, and likely at least dozens more using the spot afterward. Can't take anything back that was published to the internet - it's out there forever, in searchable form.
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eggs
I will tell you that there is awesome trout fishing in the high mountain lakes of the cascades.. BUT I WILL NOT DO THE HIKING FOR YOU TO FIND OUT WHICH ONES. I will tell you how to get to a lake what you might find... sorry but a 5 Miles w/ a 40lbs pack will keep my lips sealed on how well the fishing was or wasn't.. want to know.. feel free to hike it and find out..
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Spydeyrch
eggs said:
Yup ..... there's a map for that ..... if ya know what I mean
-Spydey
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osmosis
Short answer: Fishermen are cranky and don't play well with others
There on the other hand are endless people that have zero problem showing anyone where and how. It's good to see other catch fish, even moreso if they are new to the sport.
There on the other hand are endless people that have zero problem showing anyone where and how. It's good to see other catch fish, even moreso if they are new to the sport.
GungasUncle
eggs said:
Ah - but would you be willing to tag along to discover how the fishing is on a given day? I'm thinking spring trip once the snow is (mostly) gone from the trails. I just got a hot little 3 weight in the mail yesterday - and I've got components coming to build a similar rod (same line as the factory rod I just got, but their 8' 3 weight vs my 7'6" 3 weight factory built model) and they will be needing broken in next season. I'm thinking brookies would be a cool way to get some blood and slime on their grips. What do you think?
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eggs
Yes if your will go and try with no promise(lakes change year to year) of trophies ... company is always welcome..
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jrbecca
DWFII said:
While your words of advice were well-written and truly thought-provoking. Please don't ever mention this guy as a mentor. Ever. It wasn't trust. It was something else--yet a hazard of being a woman fly fisher.
Have other thoughts and responses to share with you and others, but posting from my phone, in a hotel, isn't exactly easy.
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john montana
I take a lot of flack for not sharing specifics with carp spots believe it or not. Truth is, I spent years, literally, hunting down the kind of habitat I wanted in order to catch the size of fish I wanted in the manner I wanted. I simply won't give that away on a public forum or on my blog. There is a reason most of the pictures I take are basically of a fish and a bush! My old show not tell rule works pretty well. If I take the time to get to know someone well enough to actually take them fishing, I am pretty confidant they will treat the fish and water with the same respect I do. There has to be an element of trust.
You should be honored that person took the time to show you some water that is clearly special to them. Whether a spot is secret or not, if someone TAKES you there it must mean something to them. Showing is much better than telling.
Just saw your last post...maybe you shouldn't be honored. That doesn't sound good!
You should be honored that person took the time to show you some water that is clearly special to them. Whether a spot is secret or not, if someone TAKES you there it must mean something to them. Showing is much better than telling.
Just saw your last post...maybe you shouldn't be honored. That doesn't sound good!
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plumb2fish
jrbecca said:While your words of advice were well-written and truly thought-provoking. Please don't ever mention this guy as a mentor. Ever. It wasn't trust. It was something else--yet a hazard of being a woman fly fisher.
Have other thoughts and responses to share with you and others, but posting from my phone, in a hotel, isn't exactly easy.
That puts a whole new twist on "fly fishing"
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MattZ
These guys and gals have it right.
When i was younger i fished a lot more and explored a lot more. A few times I found crazy good spots and went back too often, until they were no longer crazy good. And I rarely keep or harm fish, always barbless flies, rarely anything over a size 12 for trout. If i can do that on my own in a couple weeks fishing, Imagine what someone more careless than me also going would do to the fishery. that person takes a person. etc etc. Now i only take my wife and best friends to my best spots, and I only go to them a couple times per year each. keeps em prime. i know other guys have gone too, they asked my permission first. that's how one respects a fishing buddy and a fishery...
the fact is there are too many fishermen and not enough decent bits of water.
When i was younger i fished a lot more and explored a lot more. A few times I found crazy good spots and went back too often, until they were no longer crazy good. And I rarely keep or harm fish, always barbless flies, rarely anything over a size 12 for trout. If i can do that on my own in a couple weeks fishing, Imagine what someone more careless than me also going would do to the fishery. that person takes a person. etc etc. Now i only take my wife and best friends to my best spots, and I only go to them a couple times per year each. keeps em prime. i know other guys have gone too, they asked my permission first. that's how one respects a fishing buddy and a fishery...
the fact is there are too many fishermen and not enough decent bits of water.
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DWFII
jrbecca said:While your words of advice were well-written and truly thought-provoking. Please don't ever mention this guy as a mentor. Ever. It wasn't trust. It was something else--yet a hazard of being a woman fly fisher.
Have other thoughts and responses to share with you and others, but posting from my phone, in a hotel, isn't exactly easy.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that but of course your question wasn't about his (or her?) motives) but about why these things are held so closely to the vest...in general.
I might observe...share, really...that the fellow that mentored me didn't need me for anything. He was perfectly happy fishing alone. It was me that needed him. And I cultivated his friendship and interest as assiduously as I cultivated the friendship of my wife a few years before (obviously for different reasons, but fundamentally selfish all the same). And I wasn't the only one. I often wonder if he felt harassed or "used."
I learned a tremendous amount from him...a debt I can only repay by mentoring others, where I can. What he gained from my friendship, I have no idea. But I was saddened when he passed on some years back.
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GungasUncle
eggs said:
hellz ya, I'm in. On a 3 weight, any fish over 6 inches feels like a trophy
And just getting out would be worth the trip, fish or no fish. The biggest question, aside from what to take for lunch - would be float tube or walk & wade?
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eggs
We will cross this bridge in the spring!
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steelhead_slayer
I just had this conversation with a guy at work. I told him that after all the hours(more like days) I spent, and anguish I had to deal with pissing my wife off to get that information. It is hard for me to just give away.
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eggs
Haha I.know how that goes! " send my wife to Hawaii and I will show and give you some honey holes to fish!
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