choice

[altmor]

Given the choice of a free day on a prime beat like Delfur, in prime season OR, a season ticket for brown trout anywhere in Scotland, what would we plump for ?

[jan]

done both - all i got to show for a day at delfur was a swim on my birthday - they havent invited me back! a season of trout is only £20 for me so its no competition.

[say]

Having not fished the spey, it's delfur hands down.

Did brown trout fishing as a kid, but grew out of it

[jan]

it dried out quickly - bit of a job getting it back off the bull that was trying to ...g it though

[altmor]

Okay, now let's pose the question "if this was to be the only fishing over the next season", would the answers be the same ?

[say]

For me yes, Salmon fishing just has that bit extra for me

Stuart

[altmor]

I think I'm the same as you Stuart, but what a thought - here we are only just finished a season, and I'm itching to get back out !!! Can you imagine what a whole season might be like, having taken the free day in February !!! Aghhh !!

[Fruin]

I always mean to get back into trout fishing. Every time I get the hiking boots on, pick a loch off the map, and head for the hills, I have tremendous fun and usually good sport as well. I love stomping about the bog and heather; Kate McLarens, Bibios, Silver Invictas, Sedgehogs, and all manner of other patterns on casts; sandwiches and emergency supplies in rucksack - there is just something so simple and gratifying about it all.
However, given the time, I almost always pack the chesties, double hander, etc. and head for a river - no matter what the conditions are.
So, because good trout fishing is easy to come by, and good salmon fishing is expensive, it would have to be the day on Delfur.
Throwing in the additional caveat, that it would be one or the other with no middle ground, I would have to opt for the trout fishing. I would rather fish all year than have one really good day on Delfur.

[altmor]

fruin said:

Throwing in the additional caveat, that it would be one or the other with no middle ground, I would have to opt for the trout fishing. I would rather fish all year than have one really good day on Delfur.

Good point Fruin, now you've got me confused
I too graduated from trout years back onto mighty salar, and now do very little trout fishing at all. But, you just can't beat that slow draw of line off the reel, when your fly's half swung round !! I suppose I'd still tend towards the salmon day.

[salmonking]

In many of the rivers now the trout fishing has gone downhill,
im not saying there is no good trout fishing left,there is,but im sure it wouldnt be the same as the days when trout were so abundant,where i am anyhow,so it would be delfur for me 100%.

[elwyman]

To answer the original question, I'd go for a day on Delfur because I could probably afford & obtain good trout fishing anyway.

If the choice was a day on Delfur for salmon, or a season ticket for sea trout on a good upper Spey beat, the answer would be different!

[salmonscotty16lb]

i need regular fishing only 1day would crack me!
having the choice to fish for many different species in my local area and being a alrounder i couldn't do it. also need my yearly holiday this year being Spain for catfish.
given chance i would fish for salmon every day but with shifts etc 2hrs out in float tube or a hr stalking carp at first light before my son gets up keeps me going

[iainjay]

So.....is this Delfur THAT good???

[altmor]

iainjay said:

So.....is this Delfur THAT good???

It's as good as a gaurantee at the right time !!

This is leading to an underlying theme here. There seems to be those (myself included, although a hard call), that would plump for the day at Delfur, and some who would (need to) fish for trout over the season.

Can we deduce from this :
1. There is a desire to fish amoungst us.
2. There is a desire to catch amoungst us.
... And which is the stronger desire ?

Forgetting for the moment what makes a fishing trip memorable, ie, the surroundings we're in, the company, the food, the wine ... et all, purley based on this question, are we "fishermen together" stemmed from our instinctive hunter needs, or over the aons of civilised development, has our need to survive become diluted with own self enjoyment ?

Perhaps a tad heavy I know, but I don't normally think of such deep matters "in season" - I'm normally packing my bag and off to chase salmo !! ... Ohh ... these dark nights ... roll on the new season !!

[jan]

iainjay said:

So.....is this Delfur THAT good???

i am sure it can be - but i had two days without a pull - early season admittedly - but then, thats just me - WG or graham will confirm that i cant catch fish before september on the Spey

as altmor said above 'at the right time' just like any other beat - it just has more 'right times' than most others

[macsalmo]

Crikey Altmor, what a punishing dilemma

That is a very tough one for me. I dint think anything comes close to fly fishing for Salmon but a full season not fishing

Call me sad but I would still take Delfur and have one season with the other half happy

(I hope this dilemma stays fictitious) ;D

[Fruin]

Alltmor, I think there are those of us who are born to fish. I just knew from an early age that I was always happier when I was beside water, and even happier when I am casting a line into it. Nobody encouraged me to go fishing, I started with a baggy net, then a hand line, then a spinning rod, then a fly rod.

If I do not get to go fishing, I start to get grumpy and irritated, my wife will testify to that. That is why I would rather fish lesser beats more often than sacrifice my regular outings for a few good days a season. However, if I struggle to get fish for long periods, this too will make me grumpy and irritated, but I always try to remain positive.

The joy of catching fish is wonderful, but if you were catching them all day, every day it gets a bit boring and predictable.

[iainjay]

I would never give up a whole seasons fishing for one day,doesn't matter where or how good.Year before last took five lovely brownies from Spey Dam one day,all on a dry fly,absolutely brilliant.Or,earlier this year took my stepson spinning for pollack off Neist Point in Skye.Just like fishin'. I'm new to salmon but wouldn't contemplate giving up other days casting a line.

Cheers