When do you start getting the itch?

I'm past due. Last time out was late October. First time out last year was late February, but I don't think I'll get out until late March or mid-April this year as I'm writing and defending my dissertation this spring.

If I can't get out by mid-April, then I likely won't get a trip in until the middle of May, which might kill me.
I spent 6 months studying for my PLS exam, no fishing for sure but well worth it in the long run. I wish you well.
 
That made me laugh. Funny quip Rob.

My get up and go, done got up and went.

I am a steelheader and that is not an option right now. It used to be that my mind and body would gravitate to a steehead river right now. Tents, inflatable boats and grilled meat was the game. Not this year.

I have a bunch of life to deal with so it's ok. Time to attend to other more important things. So it goes for me and my family these days. Probably going to go non-stop until elk season.

I could use the locally sourced respite that steelhead provided. I do not know what the replacement will be. My brain only allows for so much uninterupted every day grind before it goes sideways.

If I can make you laugh I know I did something right.. for once :)
 
In general I don't even try to count the days I have a rod in hand. Be it a single hand or two handed rod. Right now I am rowing the canoe around checking for bass beds on my home lakes. LMB are a passion of mine always will be. Fishing the salt as well. Beating my self up trying to find a salt steelhead off whidbey. Found one last year didn't land it. Also trying to fit my true passion fishing the PNW for steelhead as our opportunities slowly dwindle and fishing seasons become shorter. Inevitably I will fill in the short steelhead seasons with trout. Upper columbia and its tribs. And I have a huge desire to catch a musky on the fly as well. That pretty much fills in a good season. Rod in hand all year. Also practicing for speyorama in Sanfran. Standing in a large pond making cast after cast a thousand times with a 15ft 12wt spey rod with 1100gr line. Its a good workout and becomes fun after the first two weeks of sorness and stretching.
 
Yeah March is usually the time for me too. Though it depends on the year if I get the mountain biking itch or fishing itch first. It hasn’t been a great ski season here, so I’ve been mountain biking and tying tons of flies for a summer trip. Bit of skiing too. The nice thing here is you can do all three in a given week.
 
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Being the weekend warrior of fishing-type....I get that itch if I go longer than a week without fishing. For example, I didn't fish this last weekend and Saturday can't come soon enough. Sure it's only trout and all, but I'm reeeeaaaalllllyyyy hoping to tie into an ubiquitous short-fin grayling.
 
BUT my wife gets the itch. She will ask ' when are you going fishing?' meaning away for awhile.

Sounds like my wife. "Umm, aren't you fishing or something today? Leave me alone."
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I am curious about those that fish year round...do you not ever get burned out? Are you able to still find stoke? That's another reason I like taking a break. Come spring I realize how much I've missed it and ready to get back after it.
 
Sounds like my wife. "Umm, aren't you fishing or something today? Leave me alone."
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I am curious about those that fish year round...do you not ever get burned out? Are you able to still find stoke? That's another reason I like taking a break. Come spring I realize how much I've missed it and ready to get back after it.
My wife wants me gone too.:) She loves the ID channel, should I be worried?
Not much problem with stoke, I'm always learning new stuff from everyone, that keeps it fresh, plus, winter steel
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winter trout
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And now the whitefish!!!!!!!
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spring brings lakes
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then it's on to shad
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warmwater smallmouth bass, only need a shad and a crawfish
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and walleye
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family time
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then there is salmon
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and in the fall I might squeeze in a day of trout fishing, but you guys know I don't do much of that. haha.
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I usually find sufficient time to fish in the winter but not this year. Haven't fished once in '22. Busy winter building, tele and nordic skiing, mountain biked a couple times. Any other free days it was below zero.
 
I got the itch about 35 years ago, and Governor Inslee’s Covid shut down of all fishing was my longest dry spell.

I’m not into skiing because I don’t like sitting in the car for six hours to spend $100 to stand in line all day for 3 runs.

I'd rather spend $100 on a line so I can stand in runs for six hours.
 
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It was stupid. Golf was deemed essential, and boating was allowed, but fishing was illegal.
dumb question but I’m not out that way. Is this true are you being facetious??

PA said outdoor rec was acceptable but you should just stay away from people. After the initial wave, I kept fishing and it was weird at times but people were generally out and doing stuff.
 
dumb question but I’m not out that way. Is this true are you being facetious??

PA said outdoor rec was acceptable but you should just stay away from people. After the initial wave, I kept fishing and it was weird at times but people were generally out and doing stuff.
Really, I'm not. I don't remember the exact timeline, but golf was open, pot shops were deemed "essential", and fishing was closed. State parks were also closed.

 
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dumb question but I’m not out that way. Is this true are you being facetious??

PA said outdoor rec was acceptable but you should just stay away from people. After the initial wave, I kept fishing and it was weird at times but people were generally out and doing stuff.
Not only is it true, there are regulars on this forum that said you were a grandma killer if you questioned it.
 
Sounds like my wife. "Umm, aren't you fishing or something today? Leave me alone."
JSDFwlvf_o.gif


I am curious about those that fish year round...do you not ever get burned out? Are you able to still find stoke? That's another reason I like taking a break. Come spring I realize how much I've missed it and ready to get back after it.
No, I haven’t gotten burned out on year round fishing yet. One good thing about living in Washington is there are a whole lot of different fisheries to learn with a lot of variety amongst them. Most are seasonal to some degree or another. Yes, some WA fisheries have seen much better days but there’s still enough variety to keep things plenty interesting to me.
If I only fished for trout and mostly in streams, I might get a little bored with that.
I got a little burned out on fishing for winter steelhead a number of years back, mainly because of social/experiential reasons that took the fun out of it for me. So I switched my focus a bit and brought the fun back.
 
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