Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 4 March 2022
I watched some photos to get inspiration for this week FP, to maybe write something special object or thing around fishing. I didn’t get any spesific idea, instead I realize that even 3 or 4 years old photos were like it just happened yesterday. I have got some bookings on summer and in this point things look okay. There could be more, but when looking what happening around I have to be happy how it looks like.
When watching photos I realize that I do guiding in same spots. There are good reasons for that, I know every stone and hide place so I guests will have better change to catch something. At same time those spots are getting more and more grouded each year so I always search new spots. And this thoughts throw me in the beginning of my flyfishing ”career”.
Over 20 years ago there were not guiding business in the area where I use to fish. And that really doesn’t matter, I wouldn’t be using those anyway. I was typical Finnish man, I know and I can. When looking back now I realize that I wasted a lot of time for stupid things. Instead of fishing I was mostly driving and walking to get fishing places.
My game plan was that find river, fish it, if I didn’t get anything go again, if nothing it was no good and find new river. Sounds stupid and it was, then think your game plan. If you go to fish new water first time, nobody has told you anything about and you do two or three empty trips…… Do you have patience and faith about fishing on that place?
I know that some of you will have, especially if you know that you can. What about if you have just started and even casting and techniques are far from good? I would say that if you still say yes, you are lying to yourself. I remember some trips with my uncle, he was using spinning rod and I was flyfishing. Sometimes he had catch something and I was just getting my gears ready. And when I was ready to fish, I couldn’t even get a bite. That if something will make you uncertain about your skills. Then you start to ”run” up and down, despair will hit you like tidal wave.
When you know your shit as they say, then you can hold your game plan when fishing. Best place to see that is on fishing competitions. Skilled anglers are not panic so easily, for beginner you need to have success. You need to built self-confidence with piece by piece. This might sound stupid and like phrase. Still we all know that is true.
If you are beginner, be happy with even small success, if it is not a catch, maybe it could be good cast or something like that. It could be even one great cast under the three or behind rock. You need to built success with small things. Sometimes rookies can have great cathces, it is often called beginners luck. And it is. (well if they have guide it could have something to do about it).
Anyway my point is for beginners, built your success with small things. And you ”pros” challenge yourselves. Find new waters, find new species, find and try different techniques, maybe you could leave safe and fishy waters to beginners. That’s why I’m fishing new waters all the time, that I can also move my guiding from safe waters to risky ones when those are not so risky anymore.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika the Legend