52

3 years ago at Christmas I was given a fishing journal by a relative who knows little about the pastime. I was so touched that I was literally speechless. (A very different reaction from the "oh hey...what do you know...that's great" reaction when I open another 'world's greatest angler' towel or socks with coarse fishermen on them).

The book is a pretty little thing, complete with gold gilt edges and spaces to record dates, species, weights and 'remarks' about the fishing. There's not a whole lot of space there, and my handwriting is sometimes difficult for even me to read, but it is enough to record the big events (if there were any) and otherwise to report things like what flies worked and where you fished.

Ideally, one could use this book as a memory marker for every single day of fishing recorded, turning it into a sort of card catalogue of the fishing experience. However, I've found it doesn't exactly work that way, although I am convinced that it does help me remember more. I can easily recall the days for which I have recorded something out of the ordinary: falling in, first time with a new rod, unexpected sea trout etc. The details for more ordinary days are a bit more fuzzy in terms of actual memories. But then, without the journal I probably wouldn't have any recollection of days like that, which goes to my point about remembering more.

I guess the lesson here is to try to record something unique in every entry. That does add to the workload of maintaining the fishing journal though. I try to update the journal after each day of fishing. When I do that, I have little trouble writing a detailed entry that will probably jog my memory about the experience for years to come. However, as with fishing blogs for instance, sometimes you just don't feel like writing all of this stuff down after a long session on the river. Retrospectively reconstructing a day or a week's worth of fishing can be difficult.

Recording details also helps you to better understand your favourite rivers in terms of things like hatches, water temperatures, fish activity and the ways the river changes with the seasons. If put to good use (and recorded in a fairly systematic manner) this sort of data could make you a more effective fisherman. Then again, doing it this way could detract from the fun of keeping a fishing journal, making it seem more like work. I prefer to keep mine as a memory tool rather than a database, and so my entries are more sporadic in nature. I do try to record things like hatches (when I know what they are) water clarity and outside temperature.

I hate to admit it, but when it comes to recording fish sizes and weights, I'll sometimes catch myself exaggerating a little bit. Or maybe a better way to put it is that I sometimes have to stop myself from doing so. When I think about it rationally (out of the fishing mindset), this amounts to the pointless activity of lying to myself. No one else would ever be interested in reading this thing, so who the hell am I trying to impress? Maybe I'm subconsciously trying to construct more grandiose memories. Or maybe my tendency to exaggerate fish sizes and numbers when recounting tales to other fishermen has begun to affect my perceptions of what really happened. Whichever it is, keeping a fishing journal is a great way to self-test your moral character. I'm quite certain I'm not the only angler who has found himself bemusedly correcting an entry of a 15" fish to a 12" fish. I guess its nothing to worry about unless (until) I stop correcting myself.

So why is this post entitled 52? Well, for some time now it has been my goal to fish on at least 52 days in a year (so once per week on average). Whilst many fishermen would probably claim offhand to fish that many days in a year, I can tell you that it is no easy feat - my journal proves it. 52 leaves no room for mistakes or lapses in priorities. If you miss two weeks at Christmas, or whilst on summer holiday in Majorca, then you've got to make them up. Taking extended fishing holidays helps, but that can create serious problems for us married guys. My wife happens to be very understanding of my fishing obsession. She allowed me to take a 9 day fishing trip to Utah/Colorado this year, which boosted my numbers considerably, as did getting a rod on the RTMBN. I try to fish the little chalkstream at least once a week, but of course the trout season only lasts half a year, which means making up the numbers there is more difficult.

Anyway, last night I added up my fishing days for this year so far. I was pleased and surprised to find that I had already fished on 50 days. Barring an act of God (I don't discount the possibility for that) I will have no trouble reaching my goal and more. I am also happy to say that it has all been worth it - at least judging from what I have written and what I can remember.