Fishing Superstitions

[NPflychucker]

Ok, just wanted to see if im the only crazy person out there. Anyone have any superstitions/lucky charms that are a always on the stream with them, say a lucky hat or that its bad juju to catch a fish on the first cast. I for one am a firm believer that all of my fishing success is derived directly through the hat I am wearing lol Just wanted to see what else everyone feels can make or break a day on the water.

 

[salmonoid]

Make or break is often conditions? And my ability to choose the proper method to present to the fish under those conditions?

I usually wear a hat if it is raining

 

[pcray1231]

Ok, I have a hat that I find important. But for some reason I don't mentally associate it with success or lack thereof. It's just slightly ridiculous looking but comfortable and does it's job well. So it kinda became my "calling card", and I wouldn't be comfortable on a stream with any other hat. But I don't think it makes the fish hit.

On the other hand, I have a slight superstition about whether I have a chew in. The fish can be prefer either way, but they do care, see. So when I'm out there adjusting weight, leaders, tippet, and fly, I'm also adjusting whether I have a lip full of tobaccy. Amazing how many times my fortunes change (for better or worse) immediately after that particular change. And once you know how it is for that day, of course, you have to go through the rest of the day with what works...

And if you happen to be nymphing, and find that a little chaw is the ticket on that day, you can increase your success by spittin a bit of juice on your nymph...

 

[pete41]

I had a hat which I bought in South Dakota on my way to Montana- big black cowboy hat which I assumed would make me look like a native,not a wannabe. I hit the Yellowstone,wind blew,hat flew and I had to go back to town-so I bought a cap and rod to replace the 6 foot 3wt. I was going to use to show the locals how the more refined did it...
However I have never been superstitious -I always assumed I was going to catch fish,women or what ever I was after.Once in a while I did do the blind pig bit but luck,nah,sheer skill- the other times I figured they weren't desperate.

 

[Hooligan]

Camera. Never take my camera! I can take my cell phone with camera, but NOT my digital camera (the cell isn't readily accessible)! Toting a digital camera "bad luck" started on my first trip to the West Branch when I hooked into a monster brownie. I was bringing him after his third long run and thought he'd be in the net soon. I yelled to my nephew, Ryan! Get the camera!" The rod promptly snapped back and the line was limp. Didn't have another strike the rest of the day. It was downhill from then on when a camera went with me.

 

[pete41]

Pat-your chaw story reminds me of the time I was 15- chewing tobacco was a fad-had a wad in my mouth when my father drove up to the ball field to get me and my friend-I swallowed the wad--that and bad oysters are things you will never forget--lol

 

[PennypackFlyer]

some have truths like:
making sure your fishing partner wears purfume or aftershave lotion (it attracts the biting insects.)
Eating bananas attract more biting bugs.
If u have a full bladder before you put your waders on, you will have to stop soon to leave a p.
If I have not caught anything with 6 hours of fishing I probably won't catch anything that day.

 

[geebee]

I'm not sure its a superstition or not but I always put the car key through the lock latch on the hatchback while I am tackling up or tackling down to prevent me locking myself out...

I'm convinced that one time I put on the mat I'm going to forget and lock myself out in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal...

my dad always rubs his hands with a spot of sardine oil before touches the tippet, line or fly - says its get rid of human smells.

 

[pabrookie94]

My "lucky" hat is always on my head....I just wear the same one until the lady makes me get a new one because it's too gross or something. Then I have to go through a long phase of not catching anything because the new hat isn't lucky ;-)

 

[FarmerDave]

I have no fishing superstitions. To me, it's just fishing.

I sometimes joke about superstitions, but I guess I don't really have any.

 

[NPflychucker]

pabrookie I know the pain my man.my hats usually have a good 3-4 year run before they are to sweat and bug spray incrusted to stand keeping it on your head lol. And you cant wash it, that would take the years of good fishing right out of the hat. So the process starts again, weeding out the duds until the new lucky hat comes along

 

[afishinado]

+1 on the hat. They are important

I had to retire my fishing hat after it fell apart from use. I wore that hat on every great fishing trip for years. It took a long time to recover and break in a new one.

 

[franklin]

NPflychucker wrote:
pabrookie I know the pain my man.my hats usually have a good 3-4 year run before they are to sweat and bug spray incrusted to stand keeping it on your head lol. And you cant wash it, that would take the years of good fishing right out of the hat. So the process starts again, weeding out the duds until the new lucky hat comes along

Spray some of that scent killer used for hunting on that cap and you'll get a couple more years out of it.

 

[Shaner]

Ever drive the whole way to the steam and forget something major like boots or even a rod. I may have done that ;-) didn't do well then-maybe cause I didn't fish

 

[Bamboozle]

I don’t know if I would call them superstitions but rather truisms meaning, if I don’t do these things it is true I will be unhappy at some point:

1. Always make sure the cigarette lighter & flask are full before embarking.

2. Always have toilet paper in a pocket or pouch.

3. Always have cold beer in a cooler in the car.

4. Grab a few cigars before locking up the car.

5. Lock the car.

And, the most important truism:

1. Always stow the rod, reel & other tackle safely away before enjoying #3 above.

 

[Swattie87]

I drive my Mini to its stream side parking location in third gear, the entire way, regardless of the type of road I am on.

 

[pcray1231]

 

[ryansheehan]

Mine started long ago, but never catch a fish on your last cast. If I have just landed a fish and it's quitting time I will make one more cast.

 

[pcray1231]

Eating bananas attract more biting bugs.

That one's not really true like the rest of yours.

Well, I should say that some also said bananas repelled mosquitoes. So a number of researchers tried testing it to see what's up, and found no effect of bananas at all. You can't prove a negative, so it's not proof that they don't have an effect, just that efforts to discern the effect have failed.

If it does have an effect, it's nowhere near the level of known variables like CO2, sweat, what color your wearing, and genetics (some people are genetically more likely than others to get stung).

Superstitions about bananas in all sorts of things go a long ways back. I know many charter boat fishermen take their "no banana" rules pretty seriously. Not in the "I know this is a silly superstition, lets have fun with it" way, but in the "we're serious, not only will no bananas ever board our boat, but if so much as sunscreen is by banana republic, the bottle will be thrown overboard immediately" way....

 

[NPflychucker]

Ive seen the strict no bananas rule on charters before. When we went to Alaska years ago, the first thing the captain of our halibut charter asked was if anyone had any bananas. They were not allowed on the boat under any circumstances