What would you do?

[Alex Argyros]

Although not a competition angler myself, I greatly admire what the fishermen on this board do.  For one thing, competition is like the free market, it gradually selects for the most productive gear and techniques.

Hence, my question:  if you were not bound by competition rules, how would you fish?  In other words, would you still practice Euro-type techniques (for example, no bobbers, split shot) etc., if you could enter a competition that had no restrictions?  And, when you fish for fun, do you still Euro-fish?

[Daniel Podobed]

I would fish with a mixture of techniques, anything that I felt I would catch the most fish with, at any given time.

I would use indicators when needed, split shot when needed, etc. I wouldn't throw away the techniques I'm learning for competition fishing, I would just add them to everything else.

[Hunter Hoffler]

I have really learned to fish with fips mouche so when i try to fish with an indicator i suck. I might however use split shot i do think that comp style nymphing ups your numbers though

[Chris Puchniak]

It depends if you are talking rivers or lakes.

For rivers, I essentially stopped using split shot and bobbers/indicators roughly 10 years ago, and that was before I started even thinking about competition fishing.  I stopped before I was introduced to the various euro-techniques.  I would just fish "naked' as we call it - no indicators or weights.  And I found that fun, challenging, and successful.

But now that I learned a number of the euro-styles, my effectiveness is only increased.  So I can't see any reason for myself to go back to styles using indicators and weights.

When we're talking lakes though, fishing loch style is quite a departure from fishing the standard method around here, which is anchoring and casting.  I will virtually always loch-style fish when alone, or with someone who understands it (or wants to learn).  But, occasionally I will not loch-style fish, and will anchor.  But there is good reason for that.

On a river, I can take a friend or my kids out and show them euro nymphing techniques, and it is pretty easy for them to grasp.  But if I take those same people out on a lake and we start loch-style fishing, it becomes a handful. Running a motor, handling the drogue, matching retireve speeds to drift speeds, having 6-10 lines to handle various conditions... these are not things my friends are familiar with and can't do (and I can't ask them to go out and buy $500-800 of line and spools so they can fish with me .  When out with others like this on a lake, anchoring and not fishing traditional loch-style becomes more reasonable.

Same with when I encounter busy lakes.  If the lake is crawling with anchored boats, I can't easily set up drifts and cover the lake.  So, if I really want to fish the lake, I have to anchor - which I do and still enjoy!

If I had my choice, I'd likely loch-style drift 98% of the time. But once in awhile I still like to just anchor and cast - it is easier and less work.  Especially on a nice warm, calm sunny day!

[Dejon Hamann]

I carry a handful of thingamabobbers and splitshot when I'm "leisure" fishing during the winter and/or on some very big river systems.  A float and shot can be not only a more effective approach in some water types, but to be honest it's just "easy" and relaxing. 

On the flip side though.  "Euro Nymphing" is hands down more effective and fun in a great many water types.  George Daniel's book does a great job of explaining this concept.  "Competition techniques" don't have to be relegated to use in competition... each technique is just another tool to be enjoyed and utilized on your fishing adventures. 

[Kenny Dean]

I carry a handful of thingamabobbers and splitshot when I'm "leisure" fishing during the winter and/or on some very big river systems.  A float and shot can be not only a more effective approach in some water types, but to be honest it's just "easy" and relaxing. 

On the flip side though.  "Euro Nymphing" is hands down more effective and fun in a great many water types.  George Daniel's book does a great job of explaining this concept.  "Competition techniques" don't have to be relegated to use in competition... each technique is just another tool to be enjoyed and utilized on your fishing adventures.

thats a great answer..