Fishermen Lie! That’s just a fact. Generally, fish stories are exaggerated and full of flaws. The fish is always a bit bigger, fought a bit harder, and you caught a lot more fish than you really did. Most fishermen stretch the truth around 20%. Other just lie. 

You can read a lie when you hear the story a few times and the story changes. They are making it up as they go so, they can get more credit, boost their egos, or are overcompensating for their lack of skill. For others, it’s about competition.

Here are some ways to know that the fish story if not a keeper.

                Blinking excessively    normal blinking is 2-3 blinks a minute. No blinking or more blinking indicates a lie.

                Overcompensating    Egos play a huge part in a fish story. More eye contact than normal is obvious. 3-5 seconds is a normal window.

                Mirroring Language    When the story repeats what was asked, you are being lied to.

                Physical Barriers    If the storyteller gets behind a boat, rock, or obstacle, they are lying. Sometimes they hold something between you and them. They may also turn their bodies sideways, in a defensive posture.

                Deflection    The story is politically correct. The angler avoids facts and the truth.

                Change in tone    When the anglers voice goes high or becomes unusual, the story is false.

                Going Pale   Earlobes and lips will turn pale when the angler is lying. Facial expressions also determine a lie is in progress.

After being a teacher, parent, and fireman for a lifetime, I can boast that I can usually determine when I am getting a False Cast. These indicators almost always hold true. As a Fishing Guide, I also learned that the client usually brags about their skills and experience during the ride to the river. 5 minutes into the drift, it becomes obvious that the client is lacking.

The great thing about telling the simple truth, is that you don’t have to remember the lies. You just tell the story. Now you may add some spice, flair, or additional facts, but the truth is the truth. 

When you tell a lie, you need to remember the lies each time you tell the story. If the person says, “I would never lie to you!”, it is guaranteed that you are getting a fact less story.

Now, I guess it is ok to stretch the truth. No one is getting hurt. You may want to determine the truth when trying to get a truthful fishing report. “Oh, we got skunked. Fishing was lousy!” As the fishermen carry a full cooler off their boat.

The fish that I caught was so big…

Montana Grant