[Troutrageous]

I've been thinking about keeping a fishing and hunting journal (cause diary sounds too lame) to record notes from outings, and hopefully learn something in the process. I imagine that more than a few of you already do this, and am curious what kind of information you have recorded, or, looking back, what details you wish you had taken better notes on.

Oh, and any suggestions on a notebook? I was thinking of just picking up a rite-in-the-rain notepad, but the ones I've seen are all quite small.

 

[dogsnfish]

I use the small ones for work. I just keep them in my shirt pocket. I go through them fast so do not use them for anything permanent. I have a larger rite in the rain for fishing notes (number 350F) that I carry in my gear bag. It has a hardcover and also waterproof so it handles more abuse than the small ones. I do not use it every trip, just when something catches my eye or I see a fly I want to tie and get some quick pointers.

 

[Salmo_g]

I highly recommend it. I began doing that in the early 1970s, but quit because I realized that I remembered everything of importance that I ever recorded in it anyway, and it seemed like a waste of time. Fast forward a couple decades, and while I'm quite a ways from catching up with Old Man Jim's age, I seem to have acquired a chronic case of CRS (can't remember shit). Now I wish I'd written down just a few things here and there. I used to remember exact dates for certain fishing conditions or events, and now I can't even remember what year they happened in sometimes. Or worse yet, I forgot all about some fishing trips I took and have to plan from square one if I want to do a repeat.

Sg

 

[jumbo215]

You can get full size write in the rain notebooks online. Yea I keep a journal fill it with the daily fishing reports but more importatly ive been listing rivers/lakes that I fish or want to fish then whenever I can soak some information out of a guide or fly shop guy, or from this site or tv I quickly jot down some notes and now Ive got a guide book thats practicly priceless and loaded with first hand info

 

[dryflylarry]

I'm with Salmo G. I used to keep a few notes. But he is right. After a time, you won't remember diddly squat. I wish I had written down dates including year, time of day, any hatches going on and what and what size, what fly and size, sometimes fish size taken--of course. 50 years has passed now, and I can't remember diddly squat.... I remember some things, particularly hard fighting fish or difficult locations to tempt and rise and then you do. In salt water, it would be helpful to remember the tide height you fished and the same other info above. Things change year to year in the salt but even so, it's helpful. I would like to mention, not necessarily in your log, but a booklet that tells the "travel time and mileage from place to place" in your fishing travels is helpful in planning future trips. I never remember how long it takes to get somwhere.

 

[cabezon]

I've kept pretty detailed notes on my fishing trips for the last six years or so. On a several day fishing trip, I'll bring a small notebook to jot down some observations. Once I'm back, I download the pictures from my digital camera, grab the NOAA image of flow rates if it's been a river trip, and check the weather records from the closest observation center. A few times, I've even downloaded satellite images to reinforce locations. I then create a Word document and do a day-by-day summary, as best I can, of the events of the trip, including the more interesting fish photos, the flows, and location / scenery pictures. I record which flies seemed to work best (and which ones did not), what hatches I observed, and conclude with key points to remember on future trips. Over the last six years, I've fished at least 28 rivers and 13 lakes in Washington alone. Some I fish every year, often multiple times; others I have only fished once or twice. My notes are very helpful when I'm preparing for a trip and help guide my flytying. And the pictures help me remember some of the best trips and moments with friends on those trip in the dark, cold, rainy days of February. I'm becoming a little sloppy about keeping detailed records of places that I fish very frequently, but if I've taken some nice pictures or if I'm fishing with a friend, I'm much more likely to produce a short report. Like Jumbo, I will also jot down interesting tidbits that I glean off various fishing boards for places that I might want to fish in the future. I really think that it has been worth the effort.

Steve

 

[Smalma]

Keeping a journal is an excellent idea for those that are getting serious about this fly fishing game.

Other than the obvious fishing things taking notes on such things as weather, river/lake conditions, insect activity, fish behavior, etc will ultimately increase your "background" knowledge which will help put you in that "10%" club.

Keeping notes during the day is often difficult but taking a few minutes at the car to record key information will help capture the important elements. I found that a spread sheet template with appropriate"blanks" was handy for composing a trip record after getting home (though I suppose with the wide spread use of lap tops it could be down at the water side).

I found that keeping a "log" help me to become a more observant angler.

The downside of the journal was that I found myself looking at it as a score card. I have not kept a journal in years but since I fish mostly areas that I have fished for decades there isn't too much more to be gleaned from a journal. If one needs background info in today's world it is pretty easy to do some research. If I "forget" something; which is becoming much more common; I no longer look at it as information lost but as an opportunity to solve a new fishing puzzle. With the time now available in retirement solving new/old fishing puzzles is a major enjoyment.

Tight lines
Curt

 

[Alex MacDonald]

I keep one also, but not for myself. Thinking as an historian, someday a distant relative might want to read what went on "back in the day".

 

[Gone’r]

i kept one for a few years. 1998-2001. but like salmo geezy said, i have a photographic memory for anything fishin related. i may not remember to pay my bills on time or call my girlfriend but i can tell you what leader, line, fly and position of the sun as well as which rock i stood on for every good fish ive ever caught.

having said that, as far as steelhead go, particularly for the OP rivers ive been thinkin of resurrecting the old journal. flows, tides, and weather and which river/float etc would be really helpful for lookin back on.

 

[Old Man]

I highly recommend it. I began doing that in the early 1970s, but quit because I realized that I remembered everything of importance that I ever recorded in it anyway, and it seemed like a waste of time. Fast forward a couple decades, and while I'm quite a ways from catching up with Old Man Jim's age, I seem to have acquired a chronic case of CRS (can't remember shit). Now I wish I'd written down just a few things here and there. I used to remember exact dates for certain fishing conditions or events, and now I can't even remember what year they happened in sometimes. Or worse yet, I forgot all about some fishing trips I took and have to plan from square one if I want to do a repeat.

Sg

Well, since My name came up. I tried to write things down, but I tend to remember things that aren't written down. Hell, this didn't even come out right.

I don't keep a journal or anything else like it. I just store it away in my memory banks and try to recall it when I'm able. Some things are clear and while I also have the syndrome CRS. This seems to hit us Over The Hill guys more than the younger ones.

I can still remember the first time I was out on the sound with with a group of old guys when I was a young kid living in Bremerton. They took us boys out for some Salmon fishing. I got one on some herring and dodger set up. It was about 65 years ago. So writing shit down isn't necessary.

 

[Sourdoughs]

Here's a great past thread on this topic: http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com...-you-keep-a-logbook?highlight=fishing+journal

 

[Jacob Mitchell]

If you go to riteintherain.com they have a fly fishing journal that is pretty cool. I might have to get one of these.

http://www.riteintherain.com/images/recreation/1732lr.gif

 

[Troutrageous]

I saw those, but actually dont think I like the page layout, I'd probably get the blank pages to write on.

 

[Tim Lockhart]

They're useful to a point, and agreed it's mostly on the earlier end of one's "career" or if you're new to an area, etc. Eventually they can become an ankle weight since the game is so volatile. That ability to interpret observations and adapt to change and that which does not make sense (yet) on a real-time basis will put more mileage on your net than anything else. Put another way, good puzzle solving skills will trump an owner's manual any day.

That said, I set up an excel file when I started getting serious about browns. I sliced & diced the data in every which direction, plus tracked stocking for every body of still and moving water in WA for the last 10 yr, plus other misc mined from local books imbedded onto sheets...anyhow the activity of all that tracking got me an unreal number of fish in yr1, then putting the data to use in yr2 more than doubled that number. Hate excel at work but as a tool for learning to chase browns it was almost fun and certainly deadly.