Ok, so that’s not exactly what I’m talking about, but I can’t help it. Something in me thinks that’s funny. ( I’ve tried to purge that “something” for 20 years, but no luck.)
When do you “listen to reason?” Do you have that little voice inside your head that tells you to do something, or (more often for me) not to do something? When you’re fishing a dry and something says to you ” you know, a bead head Hare’s Ear would probably do better…” do you change right away? Or do you wait to see if the voice goes away?
If you’re hiking an unfamiliar trail and you come to the not-s0-proverbial “fork in the road” what do you do? ( Don’t say “take it!” 🙂 )
If you’re thinking all week about going to River S, and then on the day before your trip you think, ” I wonder how River B is fishing these days?” – do you change plans and head for River B? Or, do you stick to the original plan and head out for the river you’ve been planning on fishing all week?
Maybe I’m the only one who has these little voices that sometimes try to tell me to change course or change flies? I realize how open I’m leaving myself here. 😉 lol But, I’m willing to do that to hear what you guys have to say?
Do you follow your instincts even if it demands that you change course “mid-stream” or stick to the plan? Maybe you have a story where sticking to the plan paid off – or a story where going with your gut proved to be the right decision!?
Fly Fishing the Southern Blue Ridge 
Change is the cause of most problems… Fortunately it’s also the only way to fix em’
I hate to be so clique, but I have done both.. And sometimes it leaves you wishing you wouldn’t have strayed from the normal river or spot you always fish, but then I tend to think, I found that place on dumb luck and because I deviated from the original plan, so what the hell.. As long as I have some snacks, enough line, and I am home by dinner or it’s at least kept warm for me.. I’m up for just about anything.. Fishing wise that is, I can’t leave myself that open for a shot from the Functioning Fishaholic guy… Haha
Shoot! If you asked me if I would rather take River X or River Y…I could give you a really fast answer! Ha! Regarding flies, if you are moving and throwing the same fly after 20 min without anything caught…it’s time to switcheroo! Seriously, a still, small voice is something that I listen to a lot of the time and when I don’t, I usually don’t have the best results! (This is coming from the Sunday Tippets gal) Just take that into consideration… 🙂
Change is bad and I have been cautioned about those little voices in my head …
haha. 😉 You too!?
Change has its place and I have been known to change flies, rivers, what color shirt I’m wearing from time to time. But in the end when I find something that works I stick to it, and have a hard time pulling away. Great example, I fished a spot in GA when I first moved there for 3 months with limited luck. I fished a method that works well on small waters but when it came to rivers it just wasn’t as effective. One day an old man told me to do something slightly different, and the fish started rolling in. In that case change was the ticket.
Bruce, I had a similar experience when I was brand new to fly fishing. I’d been catching wild trout on a Royal Wulff for a couple of months. Then, I missed a month or two of going trout fishing ( I know, I can’t believe it either!) and when I got back to the creek, I didn’t even get a nibble on that fly. I ran into an older guy that asked me how I was doing, yadda, yadda….I guess he saw the Royal Wulff hanging from my tippet and knowing that it was September, he offered me a couple of small, black things he called “nimps.”
The bite was back on!
I don’t know who that guy was but he was the epitome of fly fisher generosity that day and I thank him in my head every time I fish that little creek.
My wife is a therapist and has advised me that when I start listening to the little voices in my head, or arguing with them, that it’s time to haul me away to the booby hatch. Enter Colorado at your own risk my friend.
I imagine your little voice tells you to use an EHC a lot. I’ve gathered that may just be your go to pattern.
I think I usually hit the water intent on trying the new flies in my box or whatever usually works on that particular piece of water. Some days I have tried exactly the opposite of my instincts and it has paid off… a few times.
Actually, it was my first “go to” fly. These days, I do a little thinking and observation before tying on a fly. A very little, but still….
I probably fish a Stimulator now more than an ECH, but in truth there’s not alot of difference between the two for the searching type application that I use them both for…
I used to plan on stream A and then typically switch to B or C at the last minute, but now I try to stick with my original game plan. I fish by myself fairly often, so I leave coordinates on my desk for where I’ll be each day. If I deviate from that plan, the repercussions could be disastrous.