Fishermen may catch some fish but at what expense? The tackle used today is expensive and abundant. We never have enough rods, reels, and rigs. How many rigs have you lost in a lifetime?
Back in the day weights and hooks were the bulk of an angler’s tackle. Everyone was always looking for the new “Secret “fly, lure, spinner, or hook. Every time someone was catching more fish than you, the tackle pile would grow.
Years ago, my son Kyle and I were fishing for trout in a Catch and Release area. The killer fly was called a Joe Fly. The West Virginia made spinner had a fly tied to the treble hook followed by a downsized stinger hook. They cost about $3 each. The lure was light and took some skill to cast. Kyle was a fair caster but not an expert. At age 12, he had a lot to learn. My Brother Curt was mentoring him and hooked Kyle up. The action was fast and furious, but Kyles’ casting was rough and not ready. He was decorating the overhanging trees and bushes with lost lures. When Kyle got snagged, and the lure was not retrievable, my brother broke it off and tied on another. At the end of the session, Kyle had netted a pile of trout, but my brother was out 16 spinners. That’s almost $50, for a few hours of some Catch and Release fishing!
We have all those days when nothing goes right. We snag every tree and rock we cast to. Our knots fail, the line breaks, the rod or reel fail, etc. Everything has a cost.
How much of your tackle box or vest is almost never used? If the tackle is never used it is also a waste of money, just as if you lost it in the river. What about your fly box that contains over 100 flies? If each fly could cost $2.50 each, do the math. That’s why I stick a mailing label inside all of my lure and fly boxes.
How do you lose your gear? Is your loss due to poor casting, skill, lack of attention, or just bad luck. We need to know so we can prevent more loss.
Sometimes we find other anglers lost gear. It’s nice to find a lure box, tacklebox, or Free Gear. We do our best to return it but if there is no name or contact label, it becomes Finders Keepers. I once had a Guide client reel in a brand-new expensive spinning rod out of the Bighorn Rapids. It still had a spinner tied on. He used his new find to catch several trout.
When we find equipment and gear, it kind of evens out the past losses. The truth is that we will never break even. Angling involves tangling, snagging, losing, breaking, and trashing gear and lures. Things with hooks have a knack of hooking onto things that won’t give them back. It’s just the price a fisherman must pay!
We have all spent a lot of money on fishing, the rest we just wasted!
Montana Grant
