How much time?

[Loren Williams]

One aspect of decision making that I always feel like I struggle with  is time spent working a feature (run, slot, plunge..) before moving on.  I like to attack my beat but sometimes I wonder if I need to be much more patient and sacrifice on the "thorough" end. 

So, when competition, what rule of thumb do you guys use to signify it's time to move on?  Obviously there are plenty of times when the decision is easy to make (grayling, mud, warm water...) but there are times or places when the "next" spot screams at you as soon as the one you are on slows down (Little J under good conditions for example). 

Lil' help?

[Dejon Hamann]

This is a good topic and something I struggle with too.  It seems like such an "esoteric" decision - so many changing variables at play that it seems to come down to personality type in the end.

The only observation I feel I've gleaned over the past few years is it's generally better to fish a river beat through once.  Timing it perfectly so you've adequately covered all the water just as the buzzer rings.  Seems like every time I go for 2nd or 3rd passes over the same water my returns are so greatly diminished that I should have just spent that time on the first pass. 

[Tim Barrett]

    I made the mistake of staying in one place to long during the SE Qualifier in NC.
Being my first Qualifier, I made several mistakes that I have learned from. I was told also to at least work the entire beat once.
If I see a larger or deeper hole. Logic states to spend a bit of time their. But what is to
much time? That is the elusive question.

[Jason Hearle]

This is a complete catch 22.  If you spend too much time in one spot, you may be neglecting a better spot.  However, maybe the spot that your on just needs a temporary rest to rebound.  All beats not being the same, maybe you only have one or two really fishy looking spots, with the rest not looking so good or being very good.  From a strategic standpoint, I have fished beats differently every time, as I have not had the same level of comp experience as some of you.  I have fished the entire beat through in 1 hour and in 3 hours.  I have found that I can usually get a couple more fish in a spot I may have caught or missed a few later in the session, but in the later sessions, that's not always the case.  I have thought about and really need to try in practice starting at the top of the beat and just swinging flies the entire beat down to get the most aggressive fish and then nymphing my way back up covering all or just the best looking water and quantify results to see what makes more sense.