MAINE - Life in the Slow Lane
I like your question Dave...It has been making me think for a bit...
Action is better than NO action, however, everyone wants the big fish. At least if your catching smaller Salmon/Trout, (I should use Trout for the example), there is a more dominent one within the pool area. To me, that's were wisdom would come into play. I found a pool were we could see nothing but trout and within them, you could see a couple large ones. That's when the excitment began. Knowing there was a couple big ones in there, I knew I had a challenge.
I found the pool at the wrong time of day when the sun was completely overhead so I never had any luck with a fly. You had to get pretty close to the pool because of the branches which was a dead giveaway of a predator in the area. A couple older men drove by and stopped and were very pleased to see me in there fishing with a fly rod compared to the usual people fishing with worm. Quality was my issue that day and to no avail, I was skunked again!
I will be heading back to that pool this year, but this time, around five thirty, six in the morning.
Dave
Good question!!! For me I like to catch fish and release them, so size is not as important as numbers of fish. When I fish a river like the Upper Ellis in Pinkham Notch I don't expect to catch any fish over 10 inches, but I will catch about 60 or 70 fish in a day of fishing that river. Most are wild fish and beautiful to look at, just little gems of nature. When I fish a river like the Rapid in the Rangeley area of Maine I expect big fish as well as numbers. I have had days there where I have caught 30 fish and a lot are big wild trout and salmon, some are small but that fine as well. The big draw back to the Rapid are the crowds of people, and I don't get that on the Upper Ellis.
Just my two cents to the question.
Lee
As we are not allowed to keep a salmon over 24 inches I have no
desire to hook and play a large fish..I do not want to be responsible
for causing undue stress to a fish that may produce 8 or 10 thousand
little ones.
As for trout I like to eat the odd victim. If I can retain my limit 3 times a season, I am satisfied..That would be a total of 15.....I am also happy
to let Dave V and Lee catch the little ones....Bring on the big ones for me.....Seeing how's there may be a contest and all.
Remember,..."It is not how deep you fish....But how you wiggle your worm"
Stephen
Quote by: stephenRemember,..."It is not how deep you fish....But how you wiggle your worm"
Stephen
Stephen
You have a worm to wiggle???
Lee
Stephen
You have a worm to wiggle???
Lee
Ouch 
no mercy.
For me I love to get out there and have fun catching a bunch of fish. I love the strike and the excitement that goes with it. I love to look at the beauty of the fish. Now I do agree there are times when a large fish in the pool or run will get my attetion real quick. I don't mind catching a big fish mixed in with the numbers. Now last year I did have a day with both large fish and numbers. That makes for a good day on the water. Dave V
I don't eat fish either. The odd time I will keep a limit just to give to my parents and that is it. Two years ago, I was pressured into eating trout for breakfast. It was about twenty or more years since I did and it reminded me of back then...Nope, don't like them...
So Dave, after a days thinking about your question. Action is better than nothing...
"Big or Small, I like to catch them all"
LOL
Firstly let me say that I enjoy all the fish that I catch, ofcourse I have my favorites, salmon and trout, but the others nonsport fish are OK as well. I've gotten past my childhood training that "bass are trash" was the order of the day when I used to fish with my Dad. We'd be fishing his favorite trout stream and say he'd hook a 12 or 14 inch smallmouth and think that he had a whopper of a trout only to be disgusted when it took it's first leap. I can see it yet Dad trying to knock it off and cursing. So I guess that catching one of the other fish when your expecting a salmon or trout falls short of your expectations, however they usually go back in the river a little more gently than when I was a kid. As for size or numbers well it's certainly fun catching one right after the other and great fun for kids, however it's the big bruisers that you remember and take the most pictures of. So I'm sitting on the fence, just glad that the absolute worst winter in two decades is almost over. I say almost as we are still getting periodic dustings of snow. As for Stevens worm well I'm staying out of that one.
Bill G.
Awe the question , quantity vs quality I ask you what is more important to you as a fly fisherman. The age old question does size matter ? Hmm or would you rather catch a bunch of trout , salmon for those across the border.
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was
cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time.
On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words,
and some of the words are theirs.