Levels of fishermen

[BREECHESANGLER]

What is your opinions on the levels of fly fishermen? What is a beginner? An experienced fisherman? An expert?

 

[pcray1231]

Obviously a gray area. I would measure it compared to their peers. Note, by peers, I mean other fishermen that fish in the same time and place.

Beginner - consistently does worse than the average fly fisherman for that time and place.

Experienced - Regularly on par with the average fly fisherman for that time and place.

Expert - Regularly does better than the average fly fisherman for that time and place.

I'd also note that an expert at, say, chasing hatches on central Pennsylvania limestoners in May can simultaneously be a complete beginner on say, fishing for stripers in the salt. Not very many are experts at all things fly fishing.

Some well rounded fishermen attempt to become "experienced" in a large number of situations, but typically such an approach makes it difficult to reach expert levels in any one. Others want to expertize in one situation, which typically leaves them lacking in others. Neither is better or worse, it's just what you want to do.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Those that ask questions - Beginner
Those that give the correct answer - Expert

 

[pete41]

following up on Pcray-
if you know where,when and how to catch the fish you are after,set out confident you will hit em..and you do ,you are pretty danged good in your own mind anyway.
If you get skunked its the poachers,the moon's,and or the stupid fishes fault.

 

[NewSal]

pete nailed it - everyones an expert, its never your fault if you don't catch fish!

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Part of it is to know your never get skunked....It's always called practice.

 

[pcray1231]

f you know where,when and how to catch the fish you are after,set out confident you will hit em..and you do ,you are pretty danged good in your own mind anyway.

That's the other end of it, lol. My post talked about comparing yourself to others in the same time and place.

But an experienced angler can, at least to some degree of accuracy, predict when and where the fishing will be good. If the average fisherman is skunked in one time and place, the experienced/expert fisherman ain't even there. He's somewhere else where he can catch fish, lol.

I do consider that an important skill. And it's not all that difficult one to learn and use with success. It is impossible to master, you merely improve with practice.

Anyway, I'd say one measure, regardless if your talking fly selection, leader selection, when and where to fish, types of casting, etc.

- The experienced fishermen does not stubbornly refuse to change. If something isn't working, he changes.

- Beginners get in ruts. Doing the same thing over and over again at the same place. Cause it worked once.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Best advice - is just to go out and have fun with it. Learn from others, and don't worry about what level of a flyer you are - there is always someone out there that will be better.


P.S. There will be times when even the best flyers will have difficulty in catching fish no matter how good they are.

 

[troutbert]

What is the purpose of the question?

 

[steveo27]

Im good enough to be able to spend a day on the water and enjoy myself.

 

[Acristickid]

Journeyman-

 

[NewSal]

troutbert wrote:
What is the purpose of the question?

What is the purpose of asking a question about the purpose of another question?

A forum is a place to bull$hit and ask questions, not all questions/posts have to be of the standard and quality that one person expects to see.

The more time I spend on this site the more I realize that there is a lot of this negative feedback on peoples posts. Really is frustrating to see.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

Those of us who do it evenings and weekends are just beginners. We'll never catch up. Fly fishing these days is best left to the professionals. Those with enough time and expensive equipment and special fishing cars. And blogs. The rest of us are just amateurs. Who are we kidding.

 

[PatrickC]

What's the definition of "average"? Is it based on catch rate? Catch rate per what (trip, hour)? Casting? Simply enjoying yourself?

 

[PennypackFlyer]

SAL: What is one persons pisser is another persons laughter.

 

[wildtrout2]

steveo27 wrote:
Im good enough to be able to spend a day on the water and enjoy myself.

Great answer, I concur.

 

[NewSal]

PennypackFlyer wrote:
SAL: What is one persons pisser is another persons laughter.

That may be true but honestly, there is a lot of negative feedback on this forum.

I've rode MX for along time and frequent a few motocross forums, and you really don't see the negativity/smartass remarks that you do here.

The elitist fly fisher stereotype shines brightly.

 

[troutbert]

wildtrout2 wrote:

steveo27 wrote:
Im good enough to be able to spend a day on the water and enjoy myself.

Great answer, I concur.

Agreed, good answer.

 

[Stevie-B]

I will forever be a beginner. There is always something else to learn or experience.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

It's better to be lucky then good