One of the streams I fish has a hiking trail that runs parallel in places. It’s handy for walking in but has one shortcoming; hikers use it, too.
One of my favorite streams lies alongside a hiking trail.
Now, that might not sound like much of a problem, but they invariably stop to watch me fish, perhaps even taking a few photos since a scenic stream often looks more nostalgic with an old angler standing in it. I’m self aware enough to know that I don’t add to the beauty of the scenery.
Once they finish with the photos, many of them engage me in conversation as if that’s what I’m here for. I can always predict their questions as they are fairly standard. As a result, I’ve developed some standard answers you may want to use yourself.
Question One: “Catching any?”
This may sound like a simple question, but it has many implications. For starters, if I’m having a good day and tell them that, they might go back and tell all their friends about this stream and the guy catching a pile of fish out of this specific hole. So, if I tell them I’m having a good day, the next time there will be an angler standing in my spot. Maybe three.
Yet if I lie and tell them I’m not catching anything, I look inept. Since they have my photo already, they might tell those same fishing friends that they were on this beautiful stream and the guy fishing it couldn’t buy a fish. Perhaps they will even put my photo on Facebook and someone will recognize me.
The only safe answer regarding my catch is that I’ve caught a few small ones.
So, I’ve learned over the years that the only safe answer regardless of how my day is going is to say, “I’ve caught a few little ones.”
Question Two: “What did you catch them on?”
Once again, this question offers many pitfalls. I believe trout get used to seeing certain patterns. A local fly-shop owner agreed with me on that one, commenting once that he sold over a thousand pheasant tail nymphs every season. As a result, he quit fishing that pattern altogether.
Assuming the hikers tip off their fishing friends and tell them about my spot, the last thing I want is for the anglers to come here and use the exact same fly I use. They will train the trout not to bite my favorite flies.
If the hikers aren’t anglers themselves, I can usually satisfy them by simply answering, “Nymphs.”
If the hikers do fish, they will likely follow-up with, “What kind?”
Now I have several options. Most likely, I can satisfy their curiosity by picking one of three categories of aquatic insects. Sometimes I rotate them so I’m not repeating myself. My standard answer to this question is either, “Mayfly, stonefly, or caddis.”
In reality, my favorite nymph closely resembles the sock fuzz I find in the dryer filter after running my wading socks through the laundry.
On some occasions, I’ll stop by a local pub on the way home and a patron will look at my attire and ask if I’ve been fishing. Usually, I’ll admit that I have been and that prompts the next question.
Question Three: “Where do you fish?”
The problem with this question is obvious to you by now. I really don’t need more pressure on the stream I fish, yet I don’t want to miff the guy by not telling him. So, my standard answer to this question is, “Humility Creek.”
I refer to my favorite trout stream as Humility Creek.
Anyone I fish with knows exactly where Humility Creek is because I’ve renamed my favorite stream with this moniker for just this reason. The people I want to know recognize the place, while those I don’t want to know won’t.
If I’ve not been on Humility Creek, I may be honest enough to say I’ve been on a little blue-line creek twenty miles west of Humility Creek. That works just as well.
Another popular question often comes up in the pub, especially if I linger.
Question Four: “What’s your biggest fish?”
My biggest fish may be the sucker I’m talking to.
My gut reaction is to reply, “Probably the sucker I’m talking to.” Yet, I also like to avoid bar brawls so I’ve become more careful with this question. I can usually buy some time to think if I ask, “What kind?”
Once they pick a fish, I can narrow my choices. At my age, I have a lot of possibilities to think through and they might even buy me a round while I consider them.
If you fish a lot, you can likely see the value in having some standard answers readily available.
On the other hand, you might wonder if this all isn’t a little unethical to so readily mislead people who are merely inquisitive.
But the way I look at is like this; if they wanted the truth, why did they ask a fisherman?
Jim Mize never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. You can purchase Jim’s award-winning book, The Jon Boat Years, at https://uscpress.com/The-Jon-Boat-Years or buy autographed copies at www.acreektricklesthroughit.com.
