Tracy&James | Wednesday, 15 January 2025
I've been playing quite a bit of chess online recently whilst waiting for the weather to improve enough to get out casting again (I haven't cast or fished this year yet). By playing online I get to review my games after they've finished with the help of a computer engine – funnily enough called Stockfish, so there's a fishy link. As part of the review Stockfish will feedback a percentage accuracy score i.e. how close to the perfect computed moves the game was. Computer engines, such as Stockfish, have now far exceeded human capabilities even those of the top Grand Masters, even when running on normal computers. As such, a perfect (100%) game is somewhat of an indication that your opponent is cheating. That said, I have had a couple of 100% games myself – where my opponent has fallen for a known opening trap that results in them getting checkmated. These games, although fun at the time, aren't really a measure of how well I've played – more the fact I've memorised a certain line and my opponent has unwittingly played seemingly normal moves that has got them instantly into a losing position.
For a game that goes beyond the opening if I achieve an accuracy of 80+% then I'm happy. If I get 90+% then I'm delighted. I still have plenty of games in the 70 odd % range though that I try to study in depth to see the inaccuracies in my play with a hope of eliminating them going forward. I often wonder what an engine programmed with the perfect fly cast would make of my distance efforts. I suspect it would be similar results to the chess engine – i.e. occasionally peaking at 90% (usually when practising alone), but more typically 70% when the timer starts in a competition. Unfortunately, unlike chess, eliminating my casting errors seems beyond me. It doesn't seem to matter how much video analysis I do, or how much technique training, I have frustratingly plateaued.
This plateau was one of the reasons I decided to have a shot at Spey casting – not because I ever intend fishing with a double hander (if I'm going to be splashing out money for a trip I'd rather go to the tropics rather than pay to cast at fish that aren't there), but because I want to try and do something new. Trying a left hand up single Spey with a 70 odd foot competition shooting head certainly feels new right now, and I'm enjoying trying to lock it in.
Tracy and I are staying right on the shore of Loch Long in Scotland this week – I'm not actually sure why it's called a 'Loch' because it is actually just the open sea [Edit: I've just Googled this – 'Loch' also refers to sea inlets]. Anyway, I've got my Spey rod with me and hopefully if the waves drop a little I can wade out for a bit of practice. If not I've also got my fly tying kit with me ready for tying up a load of bonefish flies.
Hope you're having a great week,
The Legendary James (as an AI generated pod cast I listened to this week labelled me – actually I quite like it).