The Mental Game

[Mark Hanes]

Over this past year of competitions I have had a lot of ups and downs from session to session.  I look at my results and I am very disappointed in the lost opportunities. I consistently let the little issues mess with my head and it consistently it cost me. 

I feel fishing ability wise I am good enough to be consistently be a factor in any competition I enter but mentally I always seem to lose it and get out of my game one way or another.  What do some of you do to stay on point mentally.

Personally I have come to the conclusion this is the one thing that sets apart the guys that are always in the top five from the rest of the field.  Any insight would be great.

[Todd Oishi]

Great topic Mark! And I'd just like to say that I really admire your ability to openly express your fears and concerns with the rest of us!

Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors and variables in competitive fly fishing that are beyond our control and can ultimately affect and determine the outcome of a competition, so don't beat yourself up over this, as it happens at some point in time to all of us (just take a look at the individual results from past NFFC’s and WFFC’s and you'll see exactly what I mean).

Beat selection and weather-related issues are typically the two most significant factors that can affect the outcome of a session and competition. But with that being said; the best teams always seem to find a way to finish somewhere near the top – regardless of the conditions or situations. This is why this sport is considered as being a “Team Sport” first and foremost, as it’s extremely difficult (not impossible mind you) for an individual to remain at the top from year to year…
 
The “uncontrollable factors” are just one of the many reasons why I feel that a minimum of 2 loch-style sessions should be included in every competition (in order to even things out), as the freedom of choice, as to where one chooses fish, allows the competitors to be in control and master of their own destinies, as a result of their own thought- and decision-making-process. But I can assure you that it works a whole lot better when the competitors can co-operate and work as a “team" with their boat partner – even though they are still technically competing against each other. This is why it is crucial that a competitor studies and becomes proficient at loch-style fishing and performs well during those sessions – especially if they've received some poor river beat assignments...
 
For river sessions; you pretty much have to work with the hand that you're dealt, but more importantly; you have to learn how to let go of a bad session; erase it from your mind; and move onward! Take me for example… I started both of our last two Canadian NFFC's with a blank in both of my 1st sessions and yet managed to maintain my composure and refocus enough to come back from behind to win an individual bronze medal finish at both of those competitions. If I weren't mentally prepared nor able to “pull it back together” - it would have surely resulted in a completely different outcome.

Just remember the old saying that: it's not the “will to win” that counts (everyone has that), but rather the “will to prepare to win” that counts the most…

[Loren Williams]

Good topic Mark.  Over the years my mentors have repeatedly stressed the importance of the mental game.  How I train my mental game is to constantly take myself out of my comfort zone when I train, and to try and fish with guys I look up to as often as I can.  It's what you do "behind the scenes" that matters.  Going out can catching a bunch of fish is not preparing you for much...catching a few tough fish, or no fish, under stressful conditions will.


I also constantly think of what bad things can happen and how I will address them.  That is a tip George Daniel passed along to me a few years ago and it may be the most important.

When I hit the water, my focus is very intense and it's hard to get me unfocused.  That used to be the reverse.  It is where I have grown the most.

[Dejon Hamann]

Great responses Todd and Loren.

My 2cents.  One word: expectation.  How I set my "expectations" can make or break me in a competition.  I can be cool as a cucumber just fishing as I normally would with no expectations in the world... or I can be a second-guessing, fraught with mistakes mess worrying about winning, worrying about dropping, worrying about being beat.

Over the last half decade I can vividly remember my most successful sessions.  They were the ones where I really didn't "care" about winning or losing.  I just fished. And I had fun doing it.

It's taken me many years to be able to mentally psyche myself into "not caring".  I had terminal stage fright as a musician and that was all about miss-aligned expectations too.  Mind you, I obviously care a great deal.  But it's a process I go through of not so much lowering, but refocusing my expectations.

If you're anything like me you're going to have to remind yourself that you're not "the best".  Hell, you might not even be "good".  That you probably don't have the time, or the money, or the energy to really excel at this sport.  That you love your family and you're home life and you don't want to give that up.  That you're probably too tall, too short, too fat, too thin, too young, or too old to make any real showing.  And that there is as much luck in competitive fly fishing as there is in Poker.  And since you're not going to be "the best" - hell, you might not even finish in the top half of competitions then consider why you would continue competing?  Because you just fracking love fishing that's why.  Because you love the feel of a river, or a lake, and the take of a fish.  Because it's something you'd be doing anywaze and competition just adds that extra thrill factor.  Because there is something mystical about using flies you've tied to catch trout on techniques you've spent months and years refining.  

Once you forget about winning and losing and just start fishing - the rest will fall into place.

[Mark Hanes]

Thanks!  It is something I see myself improving on in every competition.   Right now my biggest thing is dropping fish and every time I think I have it under control it starts to happen again.  I can right a few off to hooks but most of them are bad decisions while fighting the fish.  I need to be able to forget one or to issues like this and just get back into my session mentally like it never happen.  I almost wish my short term memory was terrible.  

I agree about the lake sessions they really are equalizers or difference makers.  You get a river beat that is just fishing terrible you are really behind the 8 ball.  Heck I have been happy with how i have been fishing those hard beats better than I ever have and staying within striking distance when I fish them..  I need to not get overly confident when I head into a beat that I know is fishing well and end up getting to confident and think it is going to be easy.  I guess I have to just fish every beat for what it is and let the cards fall where they may.  If I fish them to my ability I can only be satisfied with the outcome then.

I agree totally about taking yourself out of your comfort zone.  It is something I do in preparation but maybe not enough.   For the most part I fish streams with low low fish numbers with pressured fish and I have noticed it does make a difference especially in tuff water during final sessions.  This fall and next spring I have a lot of work to do to get to the next level and I will get it done!

Good point D but I know I can and will do better I just have some ways to go.

[Alain Barthelemy]

Remember the difference between goals and expectations.  If you set expectations, you will always be disappointed.  If you set goals, you are more likely to achieve incremental advancement.  The goals don't have to be just about catching fish.  A goal might be successfully wading to a difficult spot for example.  After you achieve many small goals, you may suddenly realize you went beyond your initial expectations.

[Jim Frazier]

nobody else mentioned it so i will (please forgive me guys ) as a few "top" competitors past and recent have said "there is a certain amount of luck involved " 1) beat draw - could be luck 2) did you guess the right fly right off the bat for an early jump , or did you cycle through a half dozen before you figured it out . There are different angler types too , some guys change flies every 5-10 min. some others like myself are a little more stubborn , in this i mean are you a angler who trys to catch a couple fish on 8 different patterns or do u try to figure out what the trout are really keying on . Maybe having 2-3 shots of bourbon before the comp. might help

[Loren Williams]

the draw is what it is...it's out of my control so aside from making sure I know what bus to get on and what beat to walk to, I pay the actual draw little attention.  By that I mean I do not "wish" for a certain draw sequence or certain beats.  Of course I want to know who fishes what and when as it will factor a bit into my strategy.

I feel largely the same about weather and flows.  I want to know what to expect but i do not let it upset me.  I have practiced hard in all conditions--I'll have a game plan I am confident in and I will fish HARD all 3 hours.

Fly choice for me is decided well before i ever hit the competition water.  Changes will usually only originate with the trustful input of my teammates as the comp progresses.  Although I have never summed-it, many anglers give up lots of their 3-hours to their competitors as they search through fly boxes.  Nothing will get eaten unless it is in the water.  I will have a competition box of flies on me.  The others will be in my bank bag.

I do really think that some anglers do have more intangibles than others; qualities that set them apart-skills that cannot be taught.  The rest of us need to work all that much harder to fill in the gaps.

[Paul Bourcq]

I dont care about the draw either.  I purposely go out of my way to not care.....helps me stay focused on task.  On a side note one thing our team does that helps is our breakdown. 

Larry Hofferberth gave us all personalized sheets after nationals with each venue you fished, who else fished them, numbers caught, size, session am or pm, and some other factors.  Very enlightening to know if you truly were the best in your beat the weekend.  It is a very very very valuable learning and teaching tool.  It certainly helps me know who is consistent sticks and who is full of shit.  Some guys talk about the creek chubs they caught, or the fish they dropped, or whatever.  Some of the guys were scoring double the fish everyone else was scoring but had a tough session and dropped down.  I reccomend you guys look at a performance breakdown.  And certainly know who was in a beat before you.

[Anita Coulton]

That's a really good tip Paul.  What better way to document performance as well as progress?  I do a mental recap after each comp, and document as much as I can.  I also keep score sheets.  Having the information you speak of would be invaluable for a teaching tool.....Brilliant! 

[Alain Barthelemy]

Do you ever break down a 3 hour session in to four 45 minute quarters?  It might be valuable to set your watch to beep at 45 minute intervals.  I know this is simplistic, but you could divide the quarters in to:

(1) Surveillance
(2) Nymphing
(3) Dries
(4) Streamers

possibly in that order.  Naturally, if you start hammering fish and your watch beeps, ignore it and keep going with that method!

Just a thought about beat optimization and recon that might help with the mental game.

[Loren Williams]

I like to keep track of my time to a degree (I dislike my controller giving me updates) but I typically end up fishing my beat as I would at home, while practicing with no one watching.  Secondary techniques would come into play if I felt they'd get me more fish..and much of that depends on catch rates.

[Paul Bourcq]

A great tip I picked up from George Daniel was to get dropped off on an unfamilar section of water.  Rig up in 15 minutes and fish for 3 hours on the clock.  We have alot of comps down here to practice at but I find myself when i personal fish playing games like that.  Ill ride up the river and say "when the song ends im parking".  Ill park take 75 yards of river and fish it for 3 hours.  I feel it helps alot.  Ill also do stuff like make myself quit fishing the fly that is working, or change hands and fish left handed the whole time, or try to catch all the fish i can without getting in the water, or put my "main box" up like it fell in the water and fish other flies, and other weird stuff like that.  I know George said he used to get wet in the winter and fish cold and shivering for three hours.  Thats hardcore.  you dont appreciate what you have untill you take things away.

[Bill Strickland]

GOOD STUFF GUYS! I COULD NOT AGREE MORE WITH EVERYTHING EACH OF YOU HAVE SAID!

NATIONALS WAS A REAL EYE OPENER ON HOW IMPORTANT THE MENTAL ASPECT IS OF THE SPORT AND IT IS AN ELEMENT OF MY GAME THAT I AM DEDICATING ON IMPROVING ASAP. YOU JUST HAVE TOO !

AS PAUL MENTIONED ABOUT THE SCORING SHEETS, LOOKING AT WHO FISHED WHAT BEATS AND HOW THOSE BEATS SCORED THROUGHOUT THE COMP YOU CAN REALLY SEE THAT THE GUYS WHO FINISHED IN THE TOP 10 MANAGED TO PULL IT TOGETHER AND SCORE LARGE NUMBERS OF FISH EVEN ON CRAPPY WATER OR WATER THAT WAS BEAT TO DEATH OVER THE 5 SESSIONS. I THINK GOING INTO THIS TOURNAMENT I PUT TOO MUCH WEIGHT ON BEAT SELECTION AND NOT ENOUGH WEIGHT ON MAKING THE PROPER ADJUSTMENTS AND JUST CATCHING THE MOST FISH POSSIBLE EACH SESSION.

FOR ME, BEING ON SOME OF MY HOME WATER I FELT FORTUNATE THAT MY FIRST 2 SESSION WERE ON GOOD WATER THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH AND GETTING OFF THE BUS I FELT THAT AS LONG AS I FISHED HARD AND FOCUSED ON WHAT I KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO REASON WHY I SHOULD NOT WIN MY SESSION ON THE TUCKASEEGEE AND HAVE AT LEAST A TOP 4 ON THE UPPER NATTY. I EXPECTED THIS AND WAS PREPARED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. I FISHED HARD BUT WHEN I CAME OUT WITH A 4 ON THE TUCK AND A 7 ON THE UPPER I LOST MY COMPOSURE AND ALREADY STARTED REACHING FOR THE PANIC BUTTON, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT MY NEXT SESSION WAS ON THE LAKE AND THAT VENUE WAS GOING TO BE THE WEAKEST LINK IN MY GAME.

OF COURSE I BLANKED THE LAKE SO AT THAT POINT I KNEW MY CHANCES OF MAKING THE TEAM THIS YEAR WAS A THOUGHT OF THE PAST. THAT AFTERNOON I JUST SAT BACK ON THE RIDE HOME AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND STARTED LOOKING INTO HOW OTHERS HAD BEEN DOING IN THE COMP. I REALIZED THAT AFTER THE FIRST 2 SESSIONS I WAS IN THE TOP 20 AND DIDN'T NEED TO REACH FOR THE PANIC BUTTON AT ALL, JUST STAY FOCUSED. HAD I KNOWN THAT GOING INTO THE LAKE i THINK I WOULD HAVE PRESSED A BIT HARDER TO CATCH THAT ONE FISH WHICH REALLY MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN 4 AND 12  PLACEMENT POINTS.

ON THE LAST DAY I NEW I HAD DRAWN THE WORST BEAT IN CHEROKEE AND THAT OTHERS IN THE COMP HAD NOT SCORED DOUBLE DIGITS ON THIS BEAT EXCEPT FOR LANCE WHO I BELIEVE FISHED IT FIRST. MY THOUGHT PROCESS WAS TO HAVE NO EXPECTATIONS AND JUST GO OUT WALK MY BEAT, BREAK IT DOWN ,AND FISH IT AS HARD AS I COULD AND JUST LET IT GO. ALTHOUGH I RACKED UP PLACEMENT POINTS THAT SESSION I FELT LIKE I HAD LEARNED THE MOST DURING THE WHOLE TOURNAMENT ON THIS SESSION BC I FISHED HARDER THAN ANY OTHER VENUE, DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT NUMBERS OTHER GUYS WERE GOING TO PUT UP, AND I DID EXACTLY WHAT I HAD TO DO TO PUT NUMBERS ON THE BOARD. ONCE I HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK BACK AT THE FINAL SCORING I ACTUALLY SCORED PRETTY HIGH COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE FIELD THAT FISHED THAT SAME BEAT.

ANOTHER EYE OPENING OPPORTUNITY WAS TO FISH IN THE SAME GROUP AS HANNER, LOREN, AND SEXTON. I REALLY LEARNED A LOT FROM WATCHING THEM AND HOW THEY STAYED FOCUSED GIVEN ANY SITUATION THAT CAME THEIR WAY. HANNER STARTED THE MORNING SESSION DEAD LAST RIGHT AFTER A TOUGH FINISH AT THE NE REGIONAL. PERSONALLY I THOUGHT HE MAY BLOW UP AND NOT BE A FACTOR BUT INSTEAD OF GETTING DOWN HE BOUNCED RIGHT BACK AND WON THE NEXT SESSION THEN FOLLOWED WITH A 2ND PLACE SESSION THE NEXT MORNING. FAR FROM A BLOW UP!!!!! I BELIEVE THE SAME HAPPENED WITH LOREN AFTER HE BLANKED THE LAKE. HE REFOCUSED WON A SESSION THEN I THINK HE GOT A 2 THEN A 3. CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG LOREN. THEY ALL SEAMED TO LEAVE THE BAD BEHIND, REGROUP, AND PUSH FORWARD WHICH IS NOT EASY TO DO ESPECIALLY IN A NATIONAL TOURNAMENT FILLED WITH GOOD ANGLERS.

MOVING FORWARD I KNOW THAT WE ALL HAVE TO TRAIN OUR MIND TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE CAN DO AND DON'T GIVE UP BECAUSE THINGS CAN AND WILL CHANGE FROM VENUE TO VENUE.  IF YOU SCORE LOW ON ONE SESSION STEP IT UP ON THE NEXT. EXPECT GOOD THINGS BUT BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST. THE BETTER ANGLERS DONT GIVE UP UNTIL THE CONTROLLER SAYA TIMES UP.........THEN ITS OVER!

  

[Chris Smith]

Stop shouting at me Strickland!

This is by far the weakest part of my game.  I fish hard....very hard, but not always smart.  I'm susceptible to the same bouts of stubbornness that plauge most anglers, and often find myself starting slow.  These are things I'm working on.

One aspect that hasn't been mentioned...taking care of things on the home front before the competition begins.

This past Nationals fell on my wife's birthday.  While we celebrated the weekend before, I forgot to call her the day of.  She let me know it...what a voicemail on the bus to the first session!  I went in distracted, and it was honestly the worst session I've ever fished.  I did rebound with a 2nd in the next session, but some of the damage had been done.

Next time, I'll leave myself a few electronic reminders, AND apologize beforehand.  

[Dejon Hamann]

Great recap on nationals bill, but you don't have to yell.

Paul, love the tip about random personal fishing beat selection.  Fishing wet in the winter though?  Guess I'm not that hardcore.

[Bill Strickland]

SORRY, i'm still angry!

[Aaron Laing]

But I can assure you that it works a whole lot better when the competitors can co-operate and work as a “team" with their boat partner – even though they are still technically competing against each other. This is why it is crucial that a competitor studies and becomes proficient at loch-style fishing and performs well during those sessions – especially if they've received some poor river beat assignments...

Rob Stroud said something very similar when we shared a boat during the BC Loch style event at Trojan earlier this year... "I want our boat to have the two top finishes in the session. I don't care if I'm second or first, but that's what we're aiming for... mind you, I want to finish first" (which he did, the b*stard )

As far as the mental game goes, it's another of my many weaknesses. But there's one mental game that I'm trying to get, and it's one that works when I remember it going in: there are no bad beats. The water might not be ideal, the wading areas crap, the fish dour, but no organizer sets out to make beats unfishable. It's up to the competitor to play the cards dealt and to "make fish happen". Time and time again when I got started competing (and occasionally still) I've come off the water bitching and moaning about how I got the shaft. It's embarrassing to recall those instances. If I failed to pull enough fish to place, it was my own damn fault. Reminding myself that before I go into a beat forces me to be on my game. When I remember it's magic, and when I forget... I'm just cannon fodder on the field.

Works for me (sometimes).

Aaron

[Jeremiah Hamilton]

One aspect that hasn't been mentioned...taking care of things on the home front before the competition begins.

This can't be more true!!

I am fortunate to have one the best river fishermen as my fishing partner and friend Ivo! I can stay at pace with him and out fish him quiet often now, but why can't I do that in comp?  It took some understanding of my self to see what is holding me back, a few things that made me look inside, was first Todd and how he has juggled family and comp, and hearing how much he loves his family and how the two have molded him to the comp angler he is today. And I ask George Daniel this spring why he doesn't compete anymore, well he has seen this sport make people broke or divorced and that made him take a break.

Well looking back over the years at my comp fishing, the mental game at least for me sometimes is out side factors. Did I spend to much to get here, Annies mad again because I am fishing, am I too out of shape and so on. I took the leap and working hard to really place well this year at the nationals. I am trying minimize the external factors from creeping in on me durning the comp and practice. I quit my old job witch I wasn't happy with anymore and went to a new one that pays alot more and I am having fun doing it. This also made Annie happy because she didn't have a shoe string budget anymore, she stop stressing witch was alot less pressure on me. When I am home I spend quality time with my kids giving them 100% attention and taking Annie out, working on our relationship. Get up at 4:30am each day and train before I head to work, and cleaning up my diet. All what this did was when I take money for fishing there is no complaints because the money is there, 20lb lighter and my body is almost where I feel I should be, when I go fishing now its not because I am trying to escape my situation, but more I love to fish, I can really now focus on fishing, not having all these thoughts in my head, truly has help my practice time.

[Kalvin Kaloz]

EXTREAMLY well put Miah!

[Mike Drinan]

Hi Mark,
Great thread.
Comp fishing is greatly surrounded with mind games and how as an individual, you handle the given draw on the day.
I have watched anglers , not great just average guy's upset and even destroy the best boy's on rivers and lakes with just alone head games. This is the more sinister side of competition fishing but im afraid to say it goes on wholesale.
As for the ability to perform on the day , I think its due to a number of factors, past bad experiences ,confidence and believe in yourself.   
My advice is to forget about all bad experiences and concentrate on your own confidence. Confidence is worth so much more than any secret fly pattern in my books. I know there is an element of technique required but i believe from your thread , you have it.
I for one have no real secret patterns and still do ok in comp's. I just belief that trout will eat my fly's and thankfully they oblige most of the time.
I would personally if i were u ,step back and have a look at the results at the end of the competition and look at how many fish were caught on different fly's.
You will find loads and the answer lies not in the patterns but in each anglers own belief that there own fly's work well.NB
I not proclaiming to be an expert , Its just what i believe.

[Ben Vandevender]

Great topic guys.

I believe that mental strenght and preparedness is what sets the great apart from the mediocre. You have to clear your mind, no stress out, maintain composure at all times, and believe in yourself. I find that those aspects are the hardest part of this game, but they are the part of this sport that benefit you through all of lifes journeys.

I am lucky enough to have a great family that supports my addiction... Both Fly Fishing and competing in general. My wife even enjoys certain aspects and the sport in general for the most part. My lil girl loves to fish with me which is a blessing in its own right.  I spend as much quality time with my daughter as possible so that when I am gone fishing for my own pleasure and doing a competition she does not feel neglected. The same goes for my wife, which is hard especially when she is finishing last few classes of College, so our QA time was already limited by that, and is further limited when I want to compete or simply fish.  It is a real balancing act which can be very hard.  There must always be compromise in my mind, and I do not see where I fully devote everything I am to this just yet, as I feel I would be neglecting my family if I did. I can however learn, improve, and become the best I can be at this time of my life, so that when the opportunity presents itself I can be ready.  In fact our Anniversary is the day after the Rumble competition and my wife graciously accepts the fact that I want to compete and supports Team Dead Drift as a whole as well.  She really is my better half. That said like Chris I have heard those Voicemails, and had the talks and arguments, about money for this comp, money for that comp. Honestly when you are married, no matter what your hobby, those talks and voicemails, and disagreements are part of it. Sadly for those of us that are a part of an incredible duo we have to be able to compete after those circumstances, it just makes us stronger .