It’s not all about the fish

Hello my fellow amateurs. I would like you all to take a moment and think about the things associated with fishing that make you happy. What are the things in fishing that make you smile? I know many of you enjoy being alone while taking in the quiet of fly fishing on a stream where there is nothing else but you, the stream, and the fish. Others like to take a buddy along for the power boat experience of racing to your favorite spots within the large lakes, and some anglers enjoy going out on the bigger ships to do some ocean fishing along with dozens of strangers. But today I’d like you to consider what it is that actually allows you to have a great day of fishing. Is it really the fish that makes for a great time? Granted, catching fish is fun, but what if you weren’t catching fish, would you still have an enjoyable day with just the hunt? For me, I can have a great day fishing even if I wasn’t catching fish because of who I choose to go fishing with. I usually go fishing with my brother and spending time with him is always fun regardless if fish are involved. We are always joking around and making each other laugh. Catching fish is a bonus (especially if I catch the biggest).

Recently my brother took me to a body of water that neither of us has been to before. We decided to go to Otter Lake in Greenfield NH. The boat launch is located right next to the entrance to the state park. The lake itself was pristine when we arrived at 7 am. A little late for us I know, but we weren’t really sure about its location, so we took our time getting there.

The only other visitors at the time we arrived were a group of ducks playing together in a small area that was reserved for swimmers. We thought that was funny that they all were in the area cordoned off just for swimmers for the park. It was like they knew no one would bother them if they stayed inside the buoys.

We noticed immediately the lack of vegetation both emergent and submerged and my brother remarked that it seemed as though perhaps the water had been treated to kill the Milfoil. Of course this was not good news for us as we have never had much luck fishing when the water has been treated.  Now, we could have just left and gone somewhere else, but both of us know that with or without fish, we will still have a great time. We did catch a few perch and a couple of small bass throughout the day, but nothing big and certainly nothing to brag about, but guess what? My brother and I had a fantastic day.

     

The photos below are in black and white because neither of us geniuses checked the camera setting. lol. Don’t worry, he didn’t really eat it and the fish was released to go home.

     

Below, these were the size of fish we caught intermittently all day. Not often, not big, but still fun.

     

My perch was bigger than his perch.

     

I hope you all can enjoy fishing even in those times when the bite is off and if you have someone you can make memories with so much the better. Always remember to bring the camera.

Good company + good fishing = great memories,

Tight lines, the Amateur Angler.