Salmo g, you sound exactly like my best buddy and fishing partner Slick. (In fact you may BE Slick for all I know -- but you're not, because you're far too knowledgeable about NW salmonids to be living in Jackson Hole, WY.) Of course, you are right to write what you do. Believe me, in the last few years I've become a lot less competitive in fishing and more appreciative of the whole experience, and less concerned with body counts. I no longer bet on fishing unless it's something silly like the biggest Halibut or some other dumb luck wager. I no longer berate myself and consider it a bad day if Slick whomps me (which he does about 75% of the time). I'm focusing more on how I'm 'playing the golf course' (hence the question on conversion percentages or 'batting averages'), and enjoying fishing much more as a result. I've also been fortunate to fish in places with lots of fish with good guides, so I have also slaked my blood lust a little, too.

But despite the Prozac and general mellowing, I'm still competitive at heart -- even if the competition is with myself these days. I remember last year getting severely annoyed at a guide who grabbed the leader on near-spent chromer as it surged out of the shallows one last time. POP! That ruined my batting average for the day, and I was steamed.

PS I hope you don't share a particularly human trait with Slick. He professes to be completely anti-competitive, yet he is constantly (sneakily) changing his tackle or approach in some fashion to as to get or maintain an edge. If I see fish rolling in the tailout, I'll yell out. Slick might not say a word, shuffle downstream past me, and then slam one on the first cast. Once he's on he'll then say "Come on down here. I saw a couple of fish rolling." Or he'll change flies from a #4 to a #6 and not say a peep even after he's hooked a couple.

Here's hoping your fishing buddies do better by your hand!