I got mixed reviews after my blog post yesterday, which, I might add, was, as is always, in my humble opinion and no way always correct or law. And, I continue to learn everyday from friends and strangers, from experienced guides and anglers to anglers new to the sport. I in no way ever intend to tell anglers what they "have" to do, what I believe yes, maybe sometimes.
I am one of those guys that believes that time spent fishing is precious, for more reasons than one. For me, its rarely about catching or landing a fish, it's about clearing my head, enjoying the environment, and the challenge of the elements or tricking a fish into biting. I truly believe the above because I spend most of my time fishing alone. As I said in an earlier post, sometimes catching a fish interrupts the rhythm of the cast, or the thought process and reflection going through your mind.
There are times during the season, when the fish are up and there is a good hatch, where I cut the hook off the fly. I'm not fishing barbless, I'm fishing hookless. When fish are rising and you get a good drift the fish will rise. I have the visual, I saw him rise, that works for me. I don't need to hook it, don't need to fight it, don't need to bother it.
Sometimes just telling myself, well really talking to the fish "I had you, if I wanted you", is plenty enough for me.