Jump to content
Fly Tying

Recommended Posts

Superstition - a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events.

 

Over the years I have heard some very interesting superstitions about fishing. I have even developed one based purely on my own experience. I am curious to see input from everyone on this topic....

 

The old classic, if you catch a fish on the first cast the rest of the day/trip is ruined. I took a trip to the french river in Sudbury Ontario. The first morning we took our boat back into a small weedy bay, I tossed a big cast, stripped in, Bang, 42" northern pike. Spent the next 4 days getting sunburned and wishing i never caught that fish....

 

The superstition which I have developed is that buying cameras or nets for a specific trip will prevent you from needing either. Nets and cameras need to be purchased randomly without any thought of a specific day which they will be used. If you buy a net or camera on the road to a fishing location, you might as well go home....

 

Lets hear what other people have to say...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have noticed the last couple years; whenever me and my buddy plan a trip weeks or months in advance something always comes up, kids get sick or baby sitters cancel etc. Now we just drop everything and go at a moments notice. Much better results. So far...

 

Probably just jinxed that now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

its not one I came up with but was handed down to me by an old fishing buddy that has passed on but before wadding stick your finger in the water and then draw a line acrossed your waders just above your belt this will prevent you from falling in as you wont let water get above that line

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I must not concentrate on the fishing because the fish always seem to take when I'm thinking about something else and not expecting the fish to take. But then if I lose the fish I curse myself for not paying enough attention :P

 

I agree completely. I can't tell you how many times fish hit when I am paying the least attention or if I go to bump the trolling motor into gear real quick, they'll hit as soon as I look down.

 

For superstitions, I agree with H.Champagne about the first cast jinx. I usually toss out a short one and retrieve quickly to avoid such problems. My other superstition is kind of goofy, but I have found that when fishing the inlet during snook season, if I bring a cooler I will never get a keeper. I always have much better luck when I "forget" it. I guess the fishing gods see me bringing the cooler as hybris, as if I am too confident that I can catch one in that 4 inch slot window. In any case, I no longer bring it and just toss a keeper in the bed of the pick up and then go buy a bag of ice to plop on it until I get home to clean it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I too subscribe to the first cast jinx. I typically throw my first cast short and somewhere where I am certain that I won't get one to avoid that.

 

As far as the camera goes, my experience is that if I remember to bring it, I will either not have anyone near to help me get a decent shot or it will go in the drink. Oddly enough, I still bring them and I typically swap with a buddy before we start fishing so that if pics need to be taken, pics of him are on his camera and pics of me on mine.

 

As for the cooler, if I bring one, I don't buy ice until after I finish fishing. If I need ice, I get it then. This seems to please Neptune enough to keep the skunk off but if I put ice in the cooler ahead of time the only thing it will keep cool is my drinks and snacks.

 

other than the homerange, I don't tie any area specific flies because I know when I get there there will be a new hot fly so I mostly just tie generic stuff.

 

In the salt on a boat, bananas and women are bad luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious. (any Office fans here?)

 

I'm very sensitive to fishing with "untested" fishing hats. If I have a bad outing with a new hat, odds are I won't wear it fishing again for a while. Last summer I broke in a new Under Armour visor. I fished fine in it, caught fish...but also nearly got struck by lightning wearing it twice. But since I caught fish, it's worth the risk. :ph34r:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Peeing off the side of the boat works for me. It's like fish formula.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You touched the water with your left foot first didn't you?

Always, always dip your right toe into the water then the left! A lesson that I learned a loooooong time ago... But I am not superstitious unless Stevie is playin.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i try to always never think about the fish if i do think about them it turns out to be a bad day and if i get hung up in the first 10 mins i usually go home its a curse

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...