Why is it that all of the "old guys" (no offense to any of you) go fishing and are always "slammin the salmon" just pulling them out of the water like crazy. Then you got people like me that ask them: what are they useing? what color is it, any scent or that squid. So they tell me and I do that exact thing and I can't catch a single thing not even the tiniest hit. Could someone just please tell me why.

they dont call them 10%er's for nothin you know:D
I have to sit around and watch my old man do it all the time. But remember with time all things come to those who wait or something like that probably no help
Dances Out

Well I'm by no means an 'old timer,' nor am I some god-like fisherman, but I think I can answer your question.
It's all about experience man. Emulation is great, but just tossing what someone else is tossing means nothing. Fishing is truely an art. It has a 'finess' about it.
I remember when I first started salmon / steelhead fishing, I couldn't lay into anything. I always asked people what they were doing, asking for help and advise. I took all their help for what it was, and tried my best to put it to good use. And then one day it happend, my first silver, actually my first silver was also my first day I limited out. Ever since then, I've only increased my fishing skills, and now once in a while I find someone asking me the same questions I use to ask...feels good too
Indeed, it's all about paying your dues. Thats what it comes down to. You've got to put in the time to learn what you're doing out there, and then, if the river 'decides' to be nice to you that day, you'll lay into some fish. Sounds corny, but thats how I look at it. Like everything in life, the best way to become good at something, is to practice it...the best way to become great at something, is to try to learn as much as possible about it, and then put it to practice. You will only get out of life what you put into it...oh no, going off on a tangent again.
<--------Engineering student so you'll have to forgive me, I tend to find myself wondering into and out of topics sometimes
Anyways, practice practice practice my friend.
jesse ;-)

Fishallday I'm begining to think it must be just plain luck. I've gone out 2 years in a row and on my first day out and in the first hour usually I'll hook mine. This year seems to be one of my unlucky year. I spent 12 hours on the Willamette river last week using just about every thing we had and poured on every smelly stuff we had. I'm not giving up till I get one. I'm a gal that will not give up so easy. And I guess I could be an old timer at 40 yrs young. Good Luck too you Fishallday.

"See ya on the river"

The "old guy" who taught me to fish always said there isn't a bit of luck involved

Fishhead5

If I was going to presume to know why the old boys catch fish,I would have to say that years of expierence have led to incredible confidence and knowledge.Time ,time and more time fishing counts alot more than knowing what color the other guy is using.Some of the best times I've had fishing have been being schooled by the old boys!

Oh yea,and because they deserve too!And hopefully so will we some day.

AUNTYM fan club president

Presentation, presentation, presentation, presentation!!!!!!!!!!! :p :p :p

The 10/90 theory of catchativity.

I am by no means an ‘old guy’. I have been lucky enough to have old timers start teaching me since I was just a ‘little grasshopper’. I definitely learned to shut up and pay attention. I owe a lot to them but, I think what I got from them that has helped me out so much is to develop my own style. Anyone can teach you how to tie a knot or how to cast or even how to drift a hole. But what you can’t be taught is the little nuances. I hate to say it but that just comes with time.

You will start to feel confident in the way you fish a certain lure or bait and then start to expand from there. Try using your favorite gear in different way; try something you have never heard anyone else trying. You can go out buy the exact same gear the ‘old timers’ are using and never catch a thing. Let me tell ya bro, its cause they got style!

Kind of a repeat of what has already been said, but the fact is that a lot of catching has to do with small subtle things one picks up from experience and time. Oh, some times luck will prevail, and anyone will catch them, but to be consistant you need to have that edge that is gained by paying attention to small details. Some of these can be taught, but many more are gained by experience and observance.

One thing that I notice when watching some less experienced anglers fish is they tend to have a big bow in the line when drift fishing. Keeping that bow to a minimum will really help you feel what is going on at the hook. Sounds like you have the gear part down. Keep at it it will come.

Beyond simply 'payin dues' the guys (and gals) who are out there on the river two, three, or more days a week are there enough to see the rhythms and patterns that emerge. The 7am bite, the low slack bite, etc. Then they know where and when to be to have the greatest chance of success.

Most of us just stumble into things on our one or two days off a week, and unless we've gotten some good beta beforehand, we simply fall back on what worked BEFORE -- which isn't necessarily the technique that's needed now.

Whether it's salmon or trout, getting tuned into the activity patterns really improves your catch rate.

anyone seen my float?.....sometimes you only get one or two opportunities a day. If you aren't paying attention to everything going on around you you might miss them and not even know it.