Who Do You Want To Win The Superbowl Today?

The thought just occurred to me that I've seen a lot of interesting sentiment heading into Super Bowl XLIX. In fact, I can't remember the last time that so few people were not excited about the big game. Of course, when I say "So few people," I'm naturally referring to friends and people I speak with fairly regularly. I can only assume that there are some excited fans out there rooting for one team or the other.

That said, who are you rooting for this year? Let me know in the poll on the sidebar to the right just below the Trout Zone Newsletter form. Vote and also don't forget to explain your vote in the comments below. Thanks for voting! I didn't watch much of the game but the 4th quarter was pretty interesting at least!

Still Fishing

That's what all, or at least most, of you seem to be doing (according to our recent poll) despite the rising gas prices. Apparently a few are stuck in my boat and limiting both trips and fishing-related purchases/spending. However the majority haven't been affected by the high price for a gallon of gas right now. Perhaps I should open a fund so all of you more fortunate people can donate to poor college students like myself... The Help a Student Go Fishing Trust Fund...I like it!!!

Hiking

The result of a 4.5 mile hike...

The most recent poll here at the Trout Zone closed last night and I was actually surprised at the results. By far, the most popular response (right at 50%) was that you would hike up to about 5 miles roundtrip on a daytrip into the backcountry. Good thing for me because a lot of my shorter daytrips are just beyond that range. Still, a quarter of the votes were cast for the 6-10 mile roundtrip category and a few of you even voted for the type of trips I like to do, roundtrip of over 10 miles.

Now, that isn't the norm but it does produce some of the most spectacular results short of doing an overnight type trip. Those of you that stay within a couple of miles of the trailhead are missing out on some excellent opportunities. I understand that some people may be limited for various reasons but the rest of you who are just lazy, I want to say thanks for leaving the best fishing for me...

Standard pack for a daytrip

Of Seasons and Psychology

Our most recent poll asked you which season was your favorite for fishing. Surprisingly, the majority of voters picked fall. Now I'll admit, fall is my personal favorite but every time I see this discussion come up, most people would vote for spring with its consistent hatches and the first reliable action after the cold winter months.

When I first picked the topic for this poll, I fully expected to see spring come through as the winner. Past experience on the water tells me that more people are fishing in the spring than in the fall. After a lot of thought, I decided the issue might revolve around the complexities of the human mind. I know I have at least a marginal tendency towards the following: the best season for fishing is whichever one is right around the corner.

Thus it makes sense that everyone is excited about fishing in the fall. I distinctly remember this subject appearing on several forums such as the LRO Board last spring. More properly, I should say early last spring when the first hatches were just about to take off. Everyone had been stuck inside all winter (at least the lazy folk...) and most people were sure that spring was the best time to fish. Now that we have a secondary "peak" in productive fishing coming up, people are turning their thoughts and minds towards the opportunities of fall such as large aggressive brown trout. Indeed, some of my best browns caught in the Smokies were taken in the September-November time frame.

Of course, it is also entirely possible that the majority of people that took the time to vote really do think fall is the best time of year for fishing. Regardless, it appears that a lot of fisherman are looking forward to the fall season.

For those interested in the final statistics, the poll was broken down by the following:

Spring - 27%

Summer - 6%

Fall - 66%

Winter - No one....

I guess I know when I'll be fishing to avoid the crowds...