# I decided to each his own



## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

I started out Trout fishing with a worm and a Zebco Snoopy rod. Moved on to spinning gear, then to a fly rod. I went through the flies only C/R zero limit phase (and still do C/R about 80% of the time) But I do occasionally like to eat trout. After reading through all threads concerning G/R, flies only water, the evil org. know as T.U. I just don't care any more. I still own a nice spinning set up, and use it often with spinners when waters are high and dirty and flash and vibration rules the day. Gotta love Panther Martins.

Fished with a buddy last season on the stream that flows through my property. He used worms, I did razz the poop out of him though lol. Had a great time, he out fished me in size and number w/o any deep hooks or mortal damage I could see. I'm just done with the debate over trout. As long as people are in it for conservation and fun. To each his/her own. The season is almost here, lets keep the litter and vandalism to some of the reg. sings I have seen on certain rivers to a zero. I don't think the debate and out right arguing in some cases will end. eh weh! 

Have a great trout season no matter how you fish"em. I know I will, Butter, Garlic, and Lemon at the ready.


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## fishinDon (May 23, 2002)

Well put Quack, 25 days!
Don


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

If everyone had a to each their own attitude, we would not have people lobbying for restricted water and everyone could get along.


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

Agreed! I spend more time on the river now with my 9 year old so I dont "fish" a whole lot myself as much as I walk with him and show him where to cast etc. We use nightcrawlers mostly on the PM and he does a very good job. He did keep one and put it on the wall. His first catch on his own an 18.5 inch brown that gave him all he could handle when he was 6. Mortality is the fishermans fault not the gear. If I get a fish that is hooked deep then I cut the line plain and simple. If fishermen stop being lazy and just take the time to re tie a hook most of the problem is solved.

Ganzer


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## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

Merg, 

I think you hit it on the head when you stated " Mortality is the fishermans fault not the gear." I have avoided the G/R forum since last fall and decided to see how it was going here since the regular season is nearly upon us. It is nice to see that a lot of the debating has become civil for the most part. 

I posted this thread not to toot my own horn and show that I'm above the issue. But because I thought it would be nice to show that people can get over the method debate and just fish. I stated that "I just don't care any more" and that's not entirely true. I do care, and that's why I came to my decision of "to each his own" What helped with that decision was a discussion with an vegan that is an anti. I wont go into it too much, but I did my best to use information I had from this site to combat the attack by the vegan. What the conversation was reduced to was me being insulted, called an imbecile, murder, ect. Here is where I will toot my own horn. I keep calm, Insults from my side (I have to admit) was just one, it was about the vegan not home schooling his children, to prevent the passing of his lack of reasoning skills. And yes I did make an apology after the remark. 

After the conversation I thought it would have been awesome to have one of the people here from this forum (one's that use factual information, and have the gift of presenting it intelligently) on hand during the argument. 

I can't say that I don't believe no kill will not lead to the possibility of larger fish. I can't say that if worms are used to fish trout that the occasional deep hook won't happen resulting in a kill. what it's boiled down to for me is what our rights offered us. In my opinion there is to much to risk when restriction split the rank and file. I am opposed to resending any zero kill sections of rivers, but I think to continually impose further G/R waters is wrong. If only for the reason it further divides us. 

After fishing my favorite stream for twenty years which is an all tackle stream. I have not noticed any decline in the population or average size. In fact over the years I have been able to increase the size of the fish I'm hooking, but I attribute that to my superior fly fishing skill. lol. I'm no biologist, but if you spend enough time on a section of water you notice change. Good or bad. 

Catch ya'll on the river.


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## Jackster1 (Aug 17, 2001)

quack head said:


> Fished with a buddy last season on the stream that flows through my property. He used worms, I did razz the poop out of him though lol. Had a great time, he out fished me in size and number w/o any deep hooks or mortal damage I could see.


 Even that works both ways. Sometimes your the windshield...
I took a distributor/friend of mine fishing after work. I knew a good place to fish not far from where he worked so off we went. He with his spinning rod and me with a fly rod. It was bright and sunny so as we walked up the stream together I told him where to put that worm. "over there just under that pine tree" and stuff like that. He was slaying them. He kept asking when I was going to use the fly rod and I said later. He giggled and made snide comments about fly fishing from what he thought he knew about it. 
Time went on and the sun kept dropping but still, I guided and he fished and razzed me.
We found a downfall to sit on while having a snack and a drink and just above us at a small wing dam I saw the first bulge of water... than another and another and then tied a nice, big foam bodied hex on. From that time on the spinning rod was worthless so we both shared the fly rod catching trout after trout from that one spot until about 1:00 in the morning. He had to work that morning or we might still be there it was that good and magical.
Until that evening he never even touched a fly rod before but sure was knowledgable on opinions of them. He is now a passionate fly fisher who, like 99% of us knows how to chuck bait and toss a spinner but made the choice that fly fishing was just a more enjoyable way to fish. Is it always the most productive? Of course not, but them neither are any other forms of fishing. So what? it's like Thoreau said, "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." This might not describe you now but maybe later it will. Maybe never too. To each his/her own.
I could bore you with other exceptional days where the long rod was king, even on Lake Saint Clair in a boat, but you get the picture. It's all good.


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## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

Yes Jackster, both sides of the coin and all. And at the risk of getting into a [email protected]#k swinging contest, I do understand that one method can easily trump the other under certain condition. After dark I love Gurgerlers, Huge gaudy ones. They destroy after dark when I'm fishing down stream after an afternoon of fishing some of my favorite streams. What of It? The point I was attempting to make is that, I just think the whole, I'm an adult I use what is considered to be an adult method yada yada yada blah blah blah. Is over rated. (please do not take this as a dig at you it's not) 

I love fly fishing as do most of the people I fish with. It's rare that I fish trout with people that do not fly fish. Why is that? It's not that I exclusively fish flies only stretches. To be honest, I spend most of my time on what I call my creek/stream, an all tackle stream. I do this because I don't have to drive if I don't want to and I enjoy the lack of pressure and people. And to be honest I tend to catch larger fish than I would on G/R waters not too far from my place. And yes, you are correct that it's not about the amount or size of the fish. I firmly believe this. but I don't feel I/we have the right to exclude other from certain stretches of rivers do to their choice of method. Now this might seem hypocritical given what I said about not resending some rules on est. restricted waters. I believe that current restricted waters are prime to either prove or disprove if G/R make a difference. (and please, I don't need links to studies of the holy waters) I don't pretend to understand the science behind trout management. I'll leave that to the people who do. What I do believe is that there is a bit of arrogance in the fly fishing community that is not warranted. 

Not to long ago I was in a fly shop, of which the owner I truly respect as a man and fly fisher. My wife and I were having coffee and just hanging out till we wanted to put on the river for a float. During the conversation I heard a lot of "Grow up" "get over it" referring to those opposed to G/R. I haven't lost any respect for the guy. But felt the attitude was demeaning to bait guys. I am not sold that our preferred method is the end all be all to trout fishing, that's all. That particular evening fish with my wife I received some very unpleasant looks from guys in full on gear using sweet fly rods that weren't catching them crap. Why? IMHO, because I was red neckin it. Sandals, swim trunks, no shirt, and sporting my far too many tat's. I just laughed it off The best part was when my wife decided she wanted to fish a little but shes a terrible caster. So I tied a P.T. to a bit of tippit had her hold on to the other end and told her to raise and lower the fly that's down current slowly, (fish were hitting emergers) she out fished the dudes that were fishing around us. Once I decided to launch I recived return hello's that I didn't receive prior. Now this is not every fly person as we all know. But I tend to agree with the elitist attitude that some on here of accused others of having. I don't even know where I'm going with this lol. I'm just typing cause am at work and board. 

Any who, I hear ya on the windshield thing. And I'm still waiting to see if the proof in the pudd'n that G/R truly work and make a difference in population and size. And this coming from a guy that was a bit arrogant towards the non Fly guys and who thought he was grown up:gaga:. 

Fish on!!


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## fsutroutbum (Apr 20, 2008)

Great post Quack and nice replies regarding it.

I fly fish mostly and regardless of specie do C&R. No honorably caught fish deserves to be cooked by my spouse. She is a good cook but fish is not her strong point. Anyway I own casting and spinning gear and use that also. I fish the GR water and also non GR water. Don't care what method folks use or if they keep or release as long as it is legal. Personally I think live bait and a push button reel and a pond full of pan fish and bass is a great way to hook a kid on fishing. Did that with my son and also my grandson. Son is not a fly fisherman but the grandson likes fly fishing. Personally I find it enjoyable to fish with my son or grandson and also in watching new anglers get excited about the sport. Fished a river today, no fish but really found it interesting how the heavy rain and snow melt in late January changed the whole stream.

The amount of snow still north of Muskegon says we will have some heavy runoff next week when the rains kick in. 
Tight lines guys.


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