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Geoff's Tips to Fish On #82: Fish are Smarter Than Us, and its OK!
The trout brain is immensely smaller than the human brain. So why are our friends of the depths smarter than us humans? All fly fisherman at one point in time dive into the sack of excuses, but the simple fact is trout are the more dominant species on the water. And the answer of “why” they are keener is pretty straightforward. As a fly angler , I have many things on my mind throughout the day. Sex. My boss. Beer. Food. The Cubs. The lack of decent orangutan documentries. Wolves. Bears. Wolves and bears getting together over a nice bottle of merlot and making some kind of Tolkien creature (Bilbo would ride it). Sex again. You get the point. Trout, on the other hand, mostly think about “should I eat that”…..and also sex. On the river, there are matters working against you, even on the best days. Mother Nature is a bitch, and we have all felt her ferocity in the form of 98 degree days with no clouds and wind that blisters the colonel under your waders. And that big brown that makes the colonel salute? He is the apex predator of the river. I heard once that hunting leopards in Africa you only had about a 60% of harvsting one in a 5 day span. Now imagine going after one of those big old kitties with a bow. That big brown trout and leopards have a lot in common. Trout generally do a lot of their eating at night, and the bigger fish subsequently eat BIG. Also, we would all catch more fish if we cleaned out our fly boxes. That size 12 Triple Humpty Dumpty Destroyer Gnat sounds awesome, but so does ordering a rib eye with “Chipotle Duck Bernaise ." Black pepper on your steak will suit you just fine boys. I am here to tell you, and your significant will agree, SIZE is what matters. Think of those times when fish are rising rhythmically and you scratch your arse and say “I can’t even see what they are eating”. It’s because you can’! But those hunters of the depths, adept to seeing in all kinds of water, can. Tie on the smallest fly you have, ANY PATTERN and I promise you will have more success. On the other end of the scale there is a reason your local fly shop has bins full of streamers. Become good at chucking the big shit and you will see your trout yield rise. Fly fisherman live for the that visual take, but if you want to catch the big boys you can’t be purist or picky. Reason being trout will always be pickier then you. In stretches of water where catch in release is the norm, they remember the terror of being caught. Learn to enjoy the refusal of a fish coming up within inches of the flying and saying FU!, because let’s face it, trout are smarter than us , and it’s OK!
Next Week Tip #5: Never Forget Fishing Memories Made as a Kid
For my girlfriend and myself's third date I decided to take her fishing in the Snowy Mountain Range outside of Laramie, WY. Smiles filled the day, especially from those brookies that never tasted a fly that particular day.
Geoff Hissong Laramie, WY
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-Geoff Hissong Laramie, WY