[scoops]

Used to be a 3 but now cant find the same amount of time and money to fish, so now in the 2 hobby camp, would think if things were to pick up I would start to look at setting aside more time for fishing.

 

[Pierre03]

I'm definitely a 4.
In 45 years of salmon fishing, I was maybe a handfull of time in the third category but only for very short period.

 

[Irish Monkey]

For me it used to be 2,3 and 4 ,but after years of catching next to nothing my enthusiasm has all but gone . I have all the top tackle but I don't intend on buying any more .

 

[LanlishBrown]

4+
Love chasing huge spring salmon and massive brownies all over the world. Just magic and always thinking/planning the next trip.

 

[keirstream]

I am probably now in Cat 2/3. I still spend a lot of time on 3 day and week long trips but as our group ages, our enthusiasm for early morning fishing is outweighed by our evening dram and debating sessions.
Personally, I now like to think I am sharpening up my techniques and am much more successful in the extremes highs and lows of water conditions which used to defeat me, more psychologically than anything else. I am more able, as an old dog, to listen, watch and learn whereas when I was younger it was 100 miles an hour with little thought of why I wasn't catching, I just gave it more of the same. I read more about skills nowadays, from the Scandis through to Topher Browne and feel I am more rounded in my abilities than yesteryear. My approach is also more relaxed, I send my friends in with an F.T.P. fly whereas before I would have pushed them out of the way to get in myself. Strangely, in spite of the general perception of a malaise creeping through salmon fishing in terms of returning numbers my season has been good with the caveat that I have played and lost 24 fish this season, a problem I need to improve on. But I have landed 16 so far, only 1 springer but 15 summer fish and grilse. In terms of opportunities, I have had plenty, my coversion rate is woeful.:lol:
I know therefore that I will double or more that number in the coming months so I am content at taking it easy and spending more time socialising with an evening dram with my pals than thrashing through every last minute as if it were my last available day on earth.
I now like to think I am at one with the river, maybe even behaving a bit like Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.
Surely not????:lol::lol:

 

[wetwader]

Definitely I was a category 4+ in all aspects since the 80’s.
Nowadays maybe only a 2/3 in spending money for equipment and journeys. Of course this is all relative. But in general, after so many years one already got too much and one knows what is needed. Experimenting in journeys and tackle is no longer that interesting or important.

But still a category 4+ in spending time for fishing and everything related to it. There are still a lot of thoughts going into fishing. The rod line pairings, the flies. In fact all my live there were decisions made in consideration of my fishing - for studying, for work, where and how, even which wife... (tolerant enough).

Fishing is still the main interest, year round. All holidays for salmon-/seatrout-fishing, 70-80 days (weekends and evening jumps) Trout-Spey and 30-40 days winter fishing for Danube Salmon (hucho hucho).
Can’t imagine doing it different. I am envious for your long salmon season in UK.

But the focus has changed a lot over the years. The number and size of fish were becoming more and more unimportant.
Just enjoying to be out around water.
Then there is the casting and swinging a fly. So much fun. And the water, running water, to read it, to feel it while wading, to smell it, open senses to everything happening around a river. The next cast. Oh, a pull...missed it. Next cast... more speed and a retrieve. Maybe...?

 

[wilbert]

10 years ago I was a 4, 5 years ago I was a 3. Now I'm a 2 but getting the urge to get back to a 3 but then again......

 

[Aled]

I was a definite 4 however I was a bachelor then! Now I'd say I was a 2.5, I don't spend too much money on my fishing, but perhaps I spend a bit too much time!
Tight Lines
Aled

ps: Due to career, marriage and children, I now look at fishing in a different light, I find it the best relaxation tool, it cleanses mind and body in a way that non anglers will sadly never get, and that is priceless!

 

[Aled]

Caught up with this thread properly now, Jockiescott post sums up my past very well. Its also interesting to note how many of us were 4 but are now 3 or 2's. I still love fishing though, I think I always will.
Tight Line
Aled

 

[larry_grayson]

Born and raised in a fishing mad family. I have gone from 4 to 0 and back to 4. I've had 2 periods of 10 years without wetting a line and 30 years without salmon and sea trout fishing. Now I'm a 2 to 3 and get probably more enjoyment from tying my own flies.
Aching for my 3 days on the Tyne next week and a full week on the Finhorn/Nairn the week after.
Of course picking the right partner and training her well is the key (one week on the Eden 1970 and she is still on the side of the fish) but she is up for me going fishing as often as I like.

 

[tawpug]

Having spent 35 years in the Army often working and/or living overseas I was at times unable to follow my passion for salmon and sea trout fishing but now I treasure every moment I get on my small Devonshire river. I suppose I would be a Cat 3.

 

[Guest]

I'm a cat 3-4 but I don't spend anywhere near enough time or money as I'd like to!

 

[kramdrazzi]

I'm an armchair 4 but a practical 1.

I dream fly fishing, I read about fly fishing, I watch fly fishing, I have a huge amount of kit (though a lot less than I used to have) and I have a reasonable level of skill.................................but due to wife, child, job (or lack of one at the moment) and life in general, I am in reality a rare sight on the river these days.

Having said that I am off to Dalmarnock next month, but that will be a one-off sorte into "4" territory.

 

[Speytime]

A cat 2 but when time and funds allow a cat 3,4 I fish all the hours I can given the opportunity but 80% of my salmon fishing is on my local river when conditions are suitable i,m on it most days.
Over the last 2 weeks I've fished it 4/5 hours a day, one day I started at 5.30am left the river at 12.30pm for a quick bite then back for 1.30 to 9.30pm conditions were perfect, I thought it was a case of persevering and I'd eventually hook one but nope I've persevered for days since and still caught nothing, they're simply not there for the 2nd year, i feel like a bairn waiting for Christmas that isn't arriving.

Al

 

[Hardyreels]

The fact that we are members of a Salmon fishing forum says that at the very least we are all interested in fishing, but how much does fishing mean to you.
(1) Is it just a past time, something to do when you are at a loose end.
(2) Is it a hobby where you will spend a fair amount of time and money in pursuit of catching fish.
(3) Is it a bit more than a hobby where you spend more time and money than you should.
(4) Or is it an obsession where you spend far more time and money in the pursuit of catching more or that elusive big fish that you feel can be bettered each time you go fishing.

I would put myself in cat 1 now but when i was a bit younger it would have been somewhere between cat 3 and 4 not money wise but time wise, spend all day fishing for nowt and on the way home planning my next visit to the river.

I've been everything even hiring out my boat and knowledge for money which I then spent on rods reels and boat upgrades.

Now I am in a category not listed, I don't care if I catch fish or not but go often. I hunt fossils look at flowers and birds, I already know what it's like to catch fish so I just take in the area.

I stuck a thread in Gillies Tales about Grayling fishing this week but what I found was that after 30 years of catching salmon and steelhead it's hard to get worked up over an 11 inch Grayling. Granted that if I might catch one 20 inch and 3 pound I'd get a bang outta that

 

[Guest]

3/4 definitely a 4 if it wasn't for the Mrs haha :lol:

 

[Rrrr]

3/4 definitely a 4 if it wasn't for the Mrs haha

I totaly get that one, i had to build a 10ft trampoline for the kids to get a pass for fishing tuesday night

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

 

[Guest]

My missus pulled a fast one in spring. Let's extend the kitchen and get a new kitchen! If I'd known what was coming I'd have left the country for good. As a result I've been kitchen shopping (that nearly finished me), floor shopping, paint shopping, DIYing, decorating, removing kitchens, fitting floors, fitting radiators (that cost me a night fishing trip when I drilled right through a water pipe which was extra special fun when my son came wandering downstairs as I was hammering away at the wall, water flowing everywhere, to get the pipe out and cap it off -"why did you drill through the water pipe, dad?"), filling big holes in walls, managing builders who mark water pipes in the wrong places, kitchen fitters, Sparky's, plumbers, window fitters, heating engineers etc etc...I've just got the skirting to fit (I'll enjoy that as I've bought a new tool to do the job), last visit by the kitchen fitter on Monday and hopefully all done. The bit that gets me is where to stop the painting - it starts in the kitchen but spreads inexorably. I've had to do every inch of gloss work in the house and four rooms in total. Right now I am contemplating how to get the new enormous fridge back into place over the newly fitted floor without damaging the floor. I'll pluck up the courage in an hour or so after a glass of fizzy. Then the shower failed last week so I've got that to replace. Using the same bathroom as my missus and daughter is totally emasculating, scrambling through hundreds of bottles of shampoo, conditioner, false eyelashes which with my eyesight look like huge spiders, 15 different types of beautifully scented shower gels, bath salts, oh god the bath salts, why do girls give their friends bath salts for birthday presents - is it because they all think their friends smell bad? If I'm lucky I locate my 2 year old bar (actually it's a thin almost transparent sliver) of soap before I get the hurry up from one or t'other.

Never mind, it will all be sorted for her 50th party which is all that matters.

Oh, and today my little girl smashed her GCSEs so the corks will be popping later.

Sorry about the ramble. I just couldn't stop life is good, but I always feel it would be better if I could fish more

 

[Barentssalmon]

A four (4) for four decades, still a 4, always a 4....

 

[barongan]

Probably between 3 and 4 for me