An Exercise in Frustration

[bogtrotter]

Today was beautiful (sunny and blue skies), so I went fishing below the Cheshire Harbor dam on the South Hoosic this evening after work.

I actually fished twice - - once from 5:45 PM to 6:45 PM (when it was around 70 degrees) , then again (after breaking for Louisiana rabbit and fiddleheads for dinner) from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.

But despite the auspicious weather, I just couldn't seem to do anything right.

I had a half dozen hits (albeit surprisingly half-hearted ones), but couldn't seem to land a fish for love or money.

Fortunately, in the very end, just as the sun was setting, I finally managed to make up for my lack of technique and/or finesse with sheer persistence, and reeled in a 13" rainbow.

[meandcuznalfy]

Yep, that happens. Was my trip the other day, missed quite a few, lost one, but managed to get one right before we left.

[Roccus]

Today was beautiful (sunny and blue skies), so I went fishing below the Cheshire Harbor dam on the South Hoosic this evening after work.

I actually fished twice - - once from 5:45 PM to 6:45 PM (when it was around 70 degrees) , then again (after breaking for Louisiana rabbit and fiddleheads for dinner) from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.

But despite the auspicious weather, I just couldn't seem to do anything right.

I had a half dozen hits (albeit surprisingly half-hearted ones), but couldn't seem to land a fish for love or money.

Fortunately, in the very end, just as the sun was setting, I finally managed to make up for my lack of technique and/or finesse with sheer persistence, and reeled in a 13" rainbow.

some days you bite the bear, some days the bear bites you... at least you put in the effort, I've never seen any caught from the couch or key board!

[meandcuznalfy]

Yep, I just like getting out, no matter how I do. I know this time of year will be slow with spawning fish and big weather swings. I know fishing is only going to get better here in a couple weeks.

[taxid]

If it was easy and consistent it would get boring.

An example, and I'm not making this up:

I have a trout pond where I raise trophy size trout of several species that I and others catch via hook and line when it comes time to harvest them. We took out about 250 or so via hook and line last fall and it literally got boring! No challenge as they will hit anything! Got a call from a taxidermist and he said, "What the heck are you feeding your trout?" I said, "what do you mean?" He said I found a dime in the stomach of one of the trout you shipped me!"

[lowaccord66]

If it was easy and consistent it would get boring.

An example, and I'm not making this up:

I have a trout pond where I raise trophy size trout of several species that I and others catch via hook and line when it comes time to harvest them. We took out about 250 or so via hook and line last fall and it literally got boring! No challenge as they will hit anything! Got a call from a taxidermist and he said, "What the heck are you feeding your trout?" I said, "what do you mean?" He said I found a dime in the stomach of one of the trout you shipped me!"

Trout are well known to test eat pretty much anything.  Sticks, rocks, aquatic plants.  Was watching videos of released hatchery fish...they will literally eat ANYthing the first couple of weeks after stocking.

[taxid]

Trout are well known to test eat pretty much anything.  Sticks, rocks, aquatic plants.  Was watching videos of released hatchery fish...they will literally eat ANYthing the first couple of weeks after stocking.

So true. As I have posted here before, at least once I caught brook trout as a kid in Mass with cigarette butts in their stomach. The highest amount of nicotine in a cigarette is in the butt. Have to wonder how much went into the bloodstream of the fish and affected consumer of the fish.

[taxid]

At the risk of repeating myself I read a short story once, I believe by Ray Bergman, that was about a flyfisherman that died and went to heaven. God said heaven could be anything he wanted, so he chose fishing a beautiful trout stream with eager monster size trout. At first it was magnificent, but after a while it became monotonous, as there was no challenge and the fish were all big with no variations. His heaven turned to hell.

I guess the point of the story is if there isn't much of a challenge, some conflict, and some ups and downs, it loses it's fun and anticipation.

Same with goes with any good book or movie. If there is no conflict and its honky dory all the way through it's a boring book.