Realizing the Insanity of it all

It may be crazy,  but it is part of us as a whole. As roughfishers, we push new boundaries, try new things, face odd scenarios that the general public may never even see. Non-roughfisherman will never understand the joy of catching one inch fish, nor the idea of travelling across the country to try to catch a trash fish. To roughfishers, in the small group of anglers with a similar mindset, we are perfectly normal. 

But in the grand scheme of things, we are not okay, and also crazy, driven by the obssession, the life, that is called roughfishing. 

And you know what? That's okay wih me.

We may be crazy but it's who we are, and you've got to be proud of that. People may look at me weird when I'm fly fishing underwater on a dive but it's what makes me happy so I ignore anyone who thinks I'm not right. 

What a cool idea! 

I hve just the spot to try this out with my son. At a cottage we rent there is some structure about 100 ft off the dock were fish hold in about 10 ft of water.

With snorkel and lifejackets on kids we can swim out and target the fish we see.

Thanks for sharing.

Note i think it may be less weird if you bring kids along (at least I am hoping).

Have any of you guys had problems with reels after taking them in the water? I've only ever fished completely in the water with fly reels and they're much more water tolerant in my opinion. However every time I've dropped a spinning reel in the water (twice) they start to feel very rigid when reeling in line and occasionally freeze up, although both of these reels were pflueger presidents so I wonder if it's just that model or company...

Looks like I need to make one that is then :). I'd have a a few on me at any time and feel like a few fellow rough fishermen would as well!

You're sick in the head.

I am too. I've come to terms with it.

Is fly fishing underwater possible? "As roughfishers, we push new boundaries." Like the laws of the fly fishing religion and physics. 

Yeah it's possible, just over complicated lol. It's only worked for me when the fish aren't that scared of you and are as close to you as the end of the rod tip. I pretty much just let out like 6 feet of line plus the leader and drag the fly around up and down and left to right in the water column like a streamer until a fish hits it. Trying to get the fish to you underwater with a fly setup is the hard part lol.

Snorkle fishing -- that actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

I think your totally nuts and its only a matter of time til they commit you to the rubber room for life!

If there's a pool/pond in the rubber room in which to fish, I don't think any of us would mind that much.

I think we've all questioned our sanity at one point or another.

I usually do at the end of a 14 hour or when I'm fishing in a place that looks like a great venue for being murdered.

Insane it what jealous people call dedicated.

At least that construction worker has an excellent story to tell.

Crazy like a fox! Very innovative way to pursue different fish. I was going to ask how this underwater method is done but Divemaster explained it, sounds fun. I bet you get a better look at the river environment while snorkeling.

You could have been watching reality TV or engaging in bitter political debate or starting your fantasy football team...all things society considers "normal." Good for you to be face down in a stream!

You could have been watching reality TV or engaging in bitter political debate or starting your fantasy football team...all things society considers "normal." Good for you to be face down in a stream!

Had some more first hand experience with this tonight. Decided to do some pier fishing in erie after a day of trolling and nothing was hitting for the longest time. Then on the last cast before I got ready to head back I saw a white perch following the lure in that was the same size as it (about 3" haha). On the next few casts I noticed an entire school of YOY White Perch were trying to eat a lure much to large for them. So I switched to a tiny rooster tail and tried to pull a few out. I was successful and pulled out a handful of 3-4" white perch. However this entire time there were a pair of girls behind me yelling obscenities about how fishing is dumb, I honestly didn't really care though, I was engrossed in watching the tiny perch hammer my rooster tail and that really made my night catching those couple of fish after a nice walleye dinner. In the end you just have to do what makes you happy regardless of what anybody else thinks of you (as long as it's legal, that is :) ).

Seems pretty normal to me...

That's what I was thinking. People on NANFA have been using the same tactics for years, only a matter of time before the micro community got on board.

Whenever I'm out crawler-pickin', I wonder what my neighbors think of me.  I wear a hoodie, to protect my head from bug bites, and use a red light to avoid spooking my quarry.  Not exactly the sight of normalcy.  I've had more than one law enforcement officer give me the "suspicious eye" or the "blaring spotlight" as I've skulked about at night.  I get the "what are you up to?" question a lot.  I also hear the "why don't you just buy them?" question pretty often.  Obviously, not everyone understands the benefits of catching your own bait (save money, livelier bait, another chance to problem-solve, another encounter with nature, etc.).  

Sometimes, when I fish under bridges during storms or rain, I also get some weird looks and questionable glances.  A few times, I've had the sweet satisfaction of seeing law enforcement get out of their vehicles in driving rain to figure out what I'm doing, only to realize with some disappointment that I'm just fishing (seeing a car parked close to a bridge is apparently is a sign of "suspicious activity").

So, go on "snorkel fishing" and I'll continue my crazy activities too.  I'm a History professor at a university by day, but an odd, adventure-seeking roughfisher by night.  Let em' guess, let em' wonder, maybe their curiosity and questions will open up a new world to them of fun and exploration.  At least we're doing more than playing mindcraft or candycrush.

Wisfisher, I guess it is pretty normal for people around here, up in Erie at least half of the fishermen don't know what a White Perch is. They just know "Silver Bass" which is what they call any Moronid that they pull in the boat, which they also consider trash because it's wasting their perch fishing time even though both White Bass and Perch fight much harder than Yellow Perch. One guy even thought they were a white bass and yellow perch hybrid when I told him what I caught, lol.

This must have been fishing through the collective fishing unconcious:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6UgVtLUMOA

I always get asked what I'm fishing for, and usually get blank stares back to my replies. You can see the wheels turning in their heads, and usually stumble out with an 'Oh' response. Sometimes thay respond with, 'why you wanna catch cr*p fish like that?' I call it bass-attitude.

I can't tell you how many fish I eat, but channel cats are #1on my list. also eaten yellow bullhead, black bullhead, sheapshead(drum), white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike, white bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, crappie, rainbow trout, walleye, sauger, saugeye, pickerel, rock bass, and smelt.

I think at this point in my life I'm perfectly OK with being eccentric, crazy, etc.  I've always been a little off-center according to most people, but I don't care.  I do the things that make me happy and don't care much if others get it or not.  

"I will make no apology for liking the things that I like."

-Chris Hardwick