Really Fishy People

I’ve had the opportunity over the past month to fish with two of the fishiest dudes I’ve ever met – Skeet Reese, who joined us chasing tuna in Panama, and then Oliver Ngy who showed us some of his salty home waters in southern California.

What amazed me about both of them is that they weren’t one-trick ponies. Of course they made their names in freshwater bass world, but their instincts and abilities were abundantly evident in other scenarios. I had the feeling that you could have put them on a western trout stream or chasing tarpon in the Keys and even if they’d never done it before they would have adapted quicker than even an above-average angler.

The instinct part can’t be taught, but the more you fish for anything, the more you should be able to understand current and fish behavior and dialing in a presentation. I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of people who have similar adaptability – KVD comes to mind, as does St. Clair musky guide Spencer Berman. I fished for Alaskan trout and salmon with Keith Combs and he picked up on the mechanics of fly fishing right way. Of course you want to go out with the most experienced and most talented anglers on any fishery, but sometimes you’ll even gain more by going out with newcomers with this innate gift – they’ll often see things in a way that others won’t.

We all like being the top stick in any scenario, but the best way to become a better angler is to surround yourself with people who are better than you. Find a mix of local experts and genuine think-like-a-fish-freaks and try to gain as much as you can from them. You will occasionally feel distinctly subpar, as I often do, but it’s worth it.

I’ve had the opportunity over the past month to fish with two of the fishiest dudes I’ve ever met – Skeet Reese, who joined us chasing tuna in Panama, and then Oliver Ngy who showed us some of his salty home waters in southern California.

What amazed me about both of them is that they weren’t one-trick ponies. Of course they made their names in freshwater bass world, but their instincts and abilities were abundantly evident in other scenarios. I had the feeling that you could have put them on a western trout stream or chasing tarpon in the Keys and even if they’d never done it before they would have adapted quicker than even an above-average angler.

The instinct part can’t be taught, but the more you fish for anything, the more you should be able to understand current and fish behavior and dialing in a presentation. I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of people who have similar adaptability – KVD comes to mind, as does St. Clair musky guide Spencer Berman. I fished for Alaskan trout and salmon with Keith Combs and he picked up on the mechanics of fly fishing right way. Of course you want to go out with the most experienced and most talented anglers on any fishery, but sometimes you’ll even gain more by going out with newcomers with this innate gift – they’ll often see things in a way that others won’t.

We all like being the top stick in any scenario, but the best way to become a better angler is to surround yourself with people who are better than you. Find a mix of local experts and genuine think-like-a-fish-freaks and try to gain as much as you can from them. You will occasionally feel distinctly subpar, as I often do, but it’s worth it.