What determines what you consider a great fisherman?
Is it how many fish they caught, the method, the amount of time they spend fishing or is it their years of experience?
What determines what you consider a great fisherman?
Is it how many fish they caught, the method, the amount of time they spend fishing or is it their years of experience?
I would say the years of experience 1st then of course the method some guys can just outfish others with certain techniques no matter how hard you try.Also I feel that the more time you spend fishing the more fish you can catch.
persistence, not giving up.
The amount of time and the success of their techniques IMO makes a great fisherman. People could have years of fishing but not much success.
In modern times you don't need to be great, if you are proficient at following the crowds either on land or at sea, and carry a quick draw cell phone, you can find the fish. Where did the old values go?
Good point storminsteve. I want to quote a passage from Billy the Greek's book, Night Tides:
"He who adjusts first, wins....I fish under vitually any conditions. But most importantly, I never fail to adjust to the methods that are needed to catch big fish. Sometimes these required adjustments are major in proportion, but more often than not they're subtle wiggles that make the difference between making big scores, and striking out."
I think that says a lot. "Past performance is no guarantee of future results", a common disclaimer on financial forms, is a good lessson to apply to surfcasting also. If you want to catch fish, you must do whatever the conditions dictate, at the moment you are out there. Nothing else matters but those conditions at that moment.
^^ What dark said. Conditions change, you have to be able to read that and adapt.
The great fishermen I admired when I was younger were fantastic fishermen. They were also able to teach a young kid like me as I learned and respectfully tried to get advice from them. To me, a great fisherman is someone who achieves the skill needed to consistently catch, and also the compassion to teach others who are just starting on the trail.