what have you done to get more fishing time

This thread will probably stur up some crazy stuff. I work shift work, and get to pick my days off for the year. I have al ways picked Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays off. Less people on the river during the week. I also just picked graveyard shift, so I can hit the river after work on anyday. The lengths we will go to for more fishing time. Also most of the people I know start complaining about the weather around October. October is my favorite month as Winter run salmon begins, and steelhead season is right behind it.

Like an idiot I started my own business to get more fishing time. What I didn't expect was the pig headed slave driver of a boss I got. I keep telling him to get a life and go fishing for peets sake.

Hows pretty much failing out of college?? Though have made my school schedule, in past semesters where I can fish just about every morning. Its getting really bad but, my days always end up deciding whether to catch steel or go to calculus, engineering, etc....

Single to 38, currently, work a flexible schedule, lot's of vacation/comp time, combine family trips with some fishing time infused.

Word to the wise it's fine line between increasing your fishing time vs foresaking your family, if you do the later, you'll pay eventually.

You got that right, D Haul!

Got divorced - my kids fish and crab with me now and many of their favorite family camping destinations are fishing spots.

I choose my college because of its proximity to my favorite, at that time, fishing spots. In spring and summer I never had a class before 10:00 so I could fish from daylight until 9:00 then rush to class. If the fishing was pretty good I often skipped the first class. No surprise the toe poorest grades I had were both from the first class in spring and summer quarter.

The window seat I built during the flood bought me some more river time.....yea!!

I work at a state job that doesn't pay that well. It's one that many people wouldn't want, but after being there and getting used to it, I really like it.
The fishing benefits are that I can bid into positions on any shift with almost any days off. I currently work 1:30-10pm with sundays and mondays off.

Well, well, well.........Got college degree, taught 25+ yrs., made lot's of "wise investments", live in area that has many fishing area's(close), married a lady that allows me to spend "lot's of time" fishing.

I've baged/stole/borrowed/lied/promised/just to go fishin @ times in the past 20 years.WOW looking @ all of that it appears an addict just wrote this!!!!!. :rolleyes: Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Early on I pushed my marriage to the brink of divorce establishing time afield I now enjoy as status quoe.

DOWNTIME: Stick with the books, bud, your degree will pay big dividends in the years to come where fishing is concerned. Don't give up, man.

I quit hunting the last 2 years, moved 500 miles, work 12 hour nights, stayed single for 35 years, and have called in sick (so i could fish) with the following BS stories:

1. Infectious parastitic diarrhea. Story goes that I caught it from eating bad homemade pork jerky. I told the boss I could even see small worms in my stool. Pork jerky, is there even such a thing?


2. Mother has had 2 strokes so that I could chase tuna. It helps to know that she is evil incarnate. Here's how to pull this one off. First have someone call work looking for you, have them tell your manager that they are family and they need to pass on an important message regarding your moms health. Have them mention that your next of kin and they need you to make important medical decisions. Then manager calls you and passes on info, and schedules you off for the week right as the big schools of bluefin tuna show up a 150 miles south of San Diego. I couldn't use this one anymore, but it worked pretty well when I was 23.
WARNING: Don't use this on a job you actually want to keep. Or where they know your family. Or if you have any sense of right and wrong. Otherwise it works great.

3. Horribly weepy, oral herpes outbreak. How to use this one. It good for a couple days off. Use it for when you get any cold sores, and you already have days off after your call-in days. Its great for people in the food service industry. I used it when I was waiting tables.

4. Here's an easy one. "I need the day off because I am having personal psychological issues. I'll be with my therapist most of the day." Then call your therapist, have him/her meet you on the South Fork of the Salmon River with fresh cured roe.


Ok, those are my favorites that have given me a few more days of fishing. Use at your discretion. I make no warranties implied or otherwise, you assume all liabilities.

The nice thing about being the senior level computer person is that I have student helpers to cover for me when I take vacation days.

Since I've been with the UW for a long time now, I accrue a ton of vacation every year. I generally like to take a day off (mid-week) at least once or twice a month.

As a couple of people have pointed out, I'm taking the route of putting in my years, making good investments and retirement plans, and spending most of my time with my wife and kids now. Hopefully, there will still be some fish left when the kids get older and I "cash in" and "call in rich".

I'm at home now on a "forced" sick day. My daycare provider is sick today.

Parker I'm with you on this. I'm hoping the family time I put in now will pay off in the long run. I'm sure it will either way, but hopefully there will be some fish still around to catch!
Neal

Married a woman that loves to fish almost as much as I do, then I retired. It just don't get any better than that!

I made the easiest decision ever. I became a guide. It allows me to fish every day the river is in shape. What kills me now is when the river is out. I never thought it would be fun to make a living at something I loved to do. Everyone said it would be more like a job that you have to do. They couldn't have been more wrong. Everyday I spend on the water makes me want to go even more. I think I have a fatal version of the illness. I really LOVE my job.

I tried it Kevin. It affected me the opposite way. One year guiding in Alaska and I didn't dawn a pair of waders for at least a year afterward. It almost ruined it for me, but that's just me.

skipped school, skipped work, quit my job during salmon and steelhea season. just not have a job at all. skipped dates with the girl friend. but she understood she fishes too. barrowed a friends car and told him i was going to the store and i would be back in 5 minutes. came back like 4 hours later. thats just the dumbest stuff i've done.

I quit working for the man in the early 70s, sacrificing affluence for a life on the river chasing Steelhead. It worked out for me. I know it wouldn't be the right choice for everybody.

Kevin:

Since I was a little nubber my dream was to be a fishing guide. This was back in the early 60's, and I read every issue of Outdoor Life with increasing interest in the PNW and Alaska fisheries...

I'm with SOL on this one. I am afraid now, especially at 46, that it would become "work" and the fun would soon go out of it.

To get more fishing time?

Well, I am a sales rep in a very narrow field of electronics. Most of my customers rarely have time for personal visits...so, I do most of my work via E-mail, computer, phone, etc.

Most successful rep's in this field have anywhere from 10 to 25 "lines", or industry related manufacturers that they represent. Me?...I represent only 3, so I am not beholden to taking unwanted nosy sales managers out to visit customers and eating up valuable fishing time.

My primary principal also loves it (they are a major manufacturer of test instrumentation) as 99% of my time is dealing with their products alone. If I added another 10 lines, and spent 60 hrs. a week working, travelling etc. I could/would make a hellofalot more money. Well, money isn't everything, and we make a comfortable living now. Why screw that up if it isn't broke???

Then, we went and bought a house right on the river. During salmon seasons I can forward my office phone to my cell, head down to the beach and fish the afternoon/evening while still working.

It's also nice as I can take customers fishing, and get work done while I row..

Mike

I have made it my life to fish. I called in sick to work at 19 years old to do a show with Grant McCommie on summer steelhead fishing the Wilson. It was a blast to be on the news at 19 years old. I lost that job when my boss called home and my mom told him I went fishing for the day. Maybe if she told him I was going to make the news he would of let it go. Oh well, he was an asshole anyway.

It got lots worse from then on. Now it is everyday of my life and I still cant get enough. When I go on vacations, I go fishing! I don't think anyone has it as bad as I do.

It's hard to plan on taking any day off in December to fish ahead of time. Fishing is a lot like skiing...put in for a day off and hope for good conditions OR, like me, live on the river and fish everyday. That way you're prepared for the best conditions.

Kevin: Doesn't it drive you nuts when you put a client on scarce fish and they cracker them off, or when you come to a sweet spot that needs an accurate cast and they miss the spot, or . . . .

I have been asked why I don't guide and the answer is simple. I'm just too damn impatient. I know that about 1/3 of the trips i would tell my guest to get the hell out of my boat. Probably hard on the tips.

I have burned every bridge there is, except for the one to my favorite steelhead drift...

Is it February yet?

Booyaa for Sol and Dave. I think working as a guide would suck. I can barely take the whining now, and thats from people who have something to whine about. I can only imagine what I might do after hearing someone complain about the gear, the weather, the water, my clothes, my boat, my Kwikee Mart corndog farts, and the strange fermenting odor from last weeks roe.

It would turn fishing into work. If I take someone out now, its because I enjoy their company. Money does not temper my patience enough to refrain from casting a K-16 into the back of someones head after they completly ignore me and screw the drag down tight on a big fish. I might have just enough patience to first put on a sardine wrap, and sharpen the hooks before I launched it into their scalp.

Yea, I wouldn't make it past a week. I am old and impatient.

I live a busy life; work, volunteer projects, and a fiancee who lives in Vancouver. However, given all of that I still get my fair share of fishing in. I learned a long time ago that it has to be scheduled, in other words, write it down in the calander with all of the other things I have to do and make sure it gets the appropriate priority.

Now I only have five years to go until I can retire comfortably at age 55. On that day I will sell the house, invest the money, and we will leave in our new camper and truck with boat in tow.

Hey Fishonjohn, tell me again how good retirement is?

Dave,

I only fish during optimum times. I guide, so I have the ability to be on the water when the bite is good. Last fall I rescheduled over 25% of my trips because fishing was slow by my standards. If I feel we can get into 10-15 chinooks in a day, then I keep the date booked. otherwise it is rescheduled. Limits are the rule.

So when you have someone cracker a bite or spook a hole, it really makes no difference because you are going to hammer them in the next hole down anyway.

spoken like a true professional,Kevin. I think guiding is the best job on earth. Getting paid to fish,c'mon.

Kevin; We need to fish together.

I'm 50. When I grow up, I want to be a guide.

I retired And fish 5 days a week and take Sat. and Sun. off to be with the wife Great life.

One of the reasons I became a teacher. I love my job and take it very seriously, but one of the perks are my summers to fish. I do have to take classes now and then and teach summer school, but spending time fishing with my kids can't be beat. Luckily I have an understanding wife as well.

I quit my job of eight years just so I could get some fishing time in. It is worth it