Smalley keeps fishing records, sort of...

Let’s see. When did we fly fish the Spotted Bear River last summer? I think we were about a week late.

And same for jigging walleyes on Tiber Reservoir. By the time we got there, the bigger females had moved out into deeper water.

Keeping good records is an important factor in the success of any venture, including catching fish.

Years ago, I interviewed iconic Dallas Eklund, Dean of Flathead Fishermen, for a personality profile story in Montana Magazine.

He told me, “We caught those big lake trout because we knew where they were and when they were there!”

Some anglers keep detailed fishing logs; others, like me, just write on a calendar.

I really admire the dedication of fishermen like my friend Jim who take the time to record the details of each and every fishing trip.

Many years ago, in an effort to keep more specific records of my fishing trips, I printed some custom pages for inclusion in a loose-leaf notebook.

I included so many details — barometer reading, air temperature, water temperature, sunny/cloudy, wind strength and direction, flies used, fishing partners, space to draw a map, etc. — that I spent more time filling it out when I got home than I did fishing.

I lost interest in details and my record keeping evolved into just writing a few words into that daily square on a calendar from Trout Unlimited or a local bank. I use the same calendar for other life stuff, including some items I might need for filling out my income tax forms.

Therein lies the problem: I had the calendar when I did my taxes but I can’t find it now.

So I’m left with the next best alternative to keeping my own meticulous records.

Ring. Ring. Hey, Jim, will you tell me when we fished the Spotted Bear River last summer?

FWP offers a free fishing logbook. Check www.fwp.mt.gov.

Jerry Smalley’s Fishful Thinking column appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.

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