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[Rodney]

So, here comes some spiritual holy fishy thoughts.... How do you define a "good fishing day"? Everyone has his or her own ideas when it comes to this, and I think these ideas evolve as a person grows as an angler.

15 years ago, my answer would be to bag as many fish as possible (within the limit of course ) back in Australia.

10 years ago, a good fishing day would be catching a biggy (tuna, sting ray.....).

Between 10 and 5 years ago, all I wanted to do was to catch salmon.

5 years ago until now, I still want to catch salmon, but bringing a fish onto shore is just not enough anymore. Have you ever had an accidental catch by surprise (no, not snagged). One of those fish that bit your hook while you're not watching and almost pulled your rod into the water yet you had managed to land the fish? The catch is good, but not satisfying. A fantastic fishing day for me now is seeing my techniques work exactly like what I have planned out on the books. Seeing that float shoots straight down and setting the hook at a precise moment so there would be one leaping straight out of the water instantly. Seeing one roll and proceed to entice a bite with a spoon you cast out just upstream from it. Numbers are no longer the issue, the quality of the fight is ranked higher. That's why I am staring at these two dozens or so spinning reels and half a dozen baitcasting reels as I type this out... There is always a perfect setup for a particular location, time and species.

What is your "good fishing day"?

[bbronswyk2000]

To be seriously honest a good day of fishing is everytime I go. Even if I get skunked I get satisfaction. You get to be outside with nature doing something you enjoy and trying different techniques to catch fish. Its a sport just like golf where you are 200 yards from the pin and you think to yourself should I use a 4 iron? Oh wait its a bit uphill maybe I should pull out the fairway wood. Its strategy just like fishing it can work for you or against you. So I like the strategy part alot as well. It can be rewarding just knowing you had the right strategy on this day or it can be chalked up as experience if it didnt work.

Also ( I think I speak for most married men ) its a day to be out with the boys and not worry about what you are going to say.

So like I mentioned every fishing day is a good day!

[Spudcote]

With school slowly taking over my life (thank god it's my last year), any day out from home and school and the city is a good one. City life is fun, but a decent hook-up with a coho on the fly still usually beats a night of partying, it's generally less painful too. And, landing a nice fish on light gear means more to me personally than a school award or a good grade, it's more of an achievement for me.

I go with dad most of the time and one of us sometimes brings a buddy. That gives the other one of us time to appretiate where we are and what we have. I grew up in Asia (Hong-Kong and Taiwan), and after moving to Canada, I realize what I've been missing. So any day out on the water is a good day.

Getting a fish on the fly is definately a good day, it doesn't matter what the fish is, as long as it was fair hooked.

I'll admit, that coming from a kid's point of view, getting a big fish is nice, but the scenery makes the experience much better too. I've fshed in the concrete fishing ponds in Taiwan and can honestly say (even if you are hooking lots of fish) it just doesn't compare to a dime bright tyee salmon breaking water on a single action "screamin' demon" as the sun begins to set over Northern BC (or any part of BC for that matter).

The only thing to ruin a day is mixing "guiding" with "pleasure fishing". This is obviously not professional guiding (I'm 17 for god's sake), but when I go out with my dad and friends who don't fish, I'm the one who does most of the work (prep, gear up, etc). I'm the one who taught my dad to fish, not the other way around. This was something that really hit me hard when I got back home this summer. I wanted a day of peaceful fishing with dad. We were fishing with friends who were not the most useful around the boat. This was not considered a good day (although we hooked 3 coho), never mix fishing for yourself, with fishing for others.

As long as you have good company, and decent sucluded surroundings, who honestly cares if you catch a fish ? (I don't even eat fish anyway) Catching fish is a perk (a decent fight doesn't hurt either), it's about fishing, not catching.

[bigguy]

On the river, being with friends or family and hooking into some fish! Would be nice to catch a few to take home. Having room to relax and not feel pressure on my space makes it good as well.  On the lake it is just being out enjoying the peace and quiet.  Good weather is a must in this case as I dont like fishing on lakes in bad weather.  Probably one of my favorite trips was up at Courtney lake near Merritt.  I didnt hook into a fish but the weather was awesome and while there I saw two bald eagles a big buck and a very aggittated beaver.  I was the only person on the lake and it was perfect.

[flyguy44]

Laying it out there and watching as it gently lands in the rippled current. Stripping and mending the line to keep the drift as natural as possibble .Then it happens SLURP down goes your fly 


          PERFECT

[Aurora]

Nice question Rod. 

I have spent some time in China recently and see the condition of the enviroment there.  "good fishing day" is anytime I can go to a beautiful area like Chilliwack and enjoy the enviroment.  We are very lucky to have this resource and I appreciate it every time I am fishing.  But to be honest, catching a fish makes the day perfect.   

[smoqqy]

every time i go out and put my feet in the water,is a good fishing day for me ROD.
that's the only way i know how to release the pressure building up inside me. just go out fishing by myself or with a buddy and having a good day to enjoy the outdoor. with fish or no fish.(with fish is better)
 

[Koho]

Any day fishing on the water is a great day.  Fresh air, the sound of water, seeing wildlife, standing on the riverbank watching the sun slowly rise over the eastern hills…  And if I don’t catch anything, I chalk it up to a learning experience-was I using the wrong lure, technique, was the water too low, was it the wrong place or time?  I’ll take the skunking lesson and try to improve on it the next time I go fishing.  If I do catch a fish, it is much more satisfying to catch it on a lure or fly that I made.  Catching fish is really icing on the cake. 

[The Gilly]

Any day fishing is a good day fishing

[MERC]

After having read responses to this particular post, I am encouraged to see that it's not just about catching fish or the meat side of it.  We all seem to echo the same sentiments of the sport (focussing on technique and improving your skills),  camaderie, relaxation.

I believe that any day out fishing is a good day of fishing regardless of whether you catch a fish or not and that you have the right attitude while you're out there.  It's all about doing something that you love to do in an environment that makes you appreciate the world around you.  It's also about those zen moments when your every single molecule is focussed on your float, fly, retrieve, rod tip,  whatever.  It's also about getting a strike when you're completely not paying attention because you're lost in thought, lost in conversation or just admiring the scenery.  For me, those are some of the components that make a good fishing day.  Fishing with buddies or fishing alone, it's all good.  Being out and away from the city, from the family for some down time, or bringing the family with you to create a future memory.  All good. And yes, bringing a nice chrome slab for the dinner table, also good.  

But, the most important component is attitude.  Most of us don't have the luxury to fish day in and day out so when we go, it's time that we
cherish because we've made special time for it.  You want to feel that you can leave your "other" life behind you and that it's just you (and your rod), the river and a fish.  Go in with the wrong attitude and it doesn't matter how many fish you catch your day will still be crap.  Ask yourself how many times you've had your day wrecked by observing an unethical fisherman at work.  Ask yourself how many times have you been bemused by watching some screaming jacka#$ across the river complaining that he got another snag or that another fisherman up from him is tangling his line and then almost get into a fight over it.  Ask yourself who will have the heart attack first, you or him.  That's why I either ignore these guys or walk away and try to keep my sense of peace around me rather than argue with an idiot.  If you get into it, then your day will also be wrecked and you won't enjoy the rest of the day.  Not a good day of fishing.  

Rod,you're right about how priorities change over the years.  I think most of us get into fishing with the expectation to catch fish, the more, the better.  We probably gauge the quality of the fishing day by the number of fish caught, hooked etc.  As you mature as a fisherman (not age, attitude again) then you find that fishing really is more than just catching fish.  It's about learning about how to catch more fish, learning about yourself, experiences remembered down the road and finding time to relax for a short period of time and maybe catch a breath or two and a fish.  Sorry for the long post but I got long winded today.  

[keithr]

fished

[Riverman]

I'm with grumman.Fishing like life can only be fully enjoyed in the doing Hence the old expression even a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.As for what makes it better the Quality of experience plays a bigger factor in the love of the sport with the passage of time.These are the memories we cherish,but just give me a line and the opportunity to persue a fish and that is all I need to be happy!

[Nostro]

I concur with most of the above.
Being out on the river or the ocean is a complete change in my environment.
Meeting a friendly person or a friend to share the fishing moments of the day is a BONUS.
Getting some action on the rod raises the Nostro-meter immediately.
Actually landing a fish! Incredible!
The hunt, the anticipation and the score make this sport enjoyable every minute. Perhaps that's why I enjoy steelhead fishing so much. It takes some knowledge, planning and being able to anticipate what the steelies are looking for that day, that moment, in that particular part of the water.
Am I hooked? You bet. 
The negatives? Well, being able to backpeddle quickly when my wife accosts me at the door wanting to know what took so long. This has become part of the thrill. Being able to offer up just the right excuse and the right bait to her so I get off the hook easily. Love it. Can't wait for the next challenge.

[blaydRnr]

  fishing is in the blood....its either you love it or you don't.... Yes, any day you can fish is a great day...but go fishing and get skunked, day in and day out ... then lets see how good those days, really are.

me... i love to fish. sun, rain, or snow...but you'll never hear me say..... "I've been fishing in the rain all day and i got skunked. what a great day!" 

[JiG_Head]

Mines, catching something out of the ordinary...  Other then that, pretty much any day that i get to fish is a good fishing day.