New Hat Walleye Bonanza

Many mistake my preference for wearing the same hat on every fishing trip for pure superstition. That's not really the case. It's not my "lucky " fishing hat. It has a purpose. It shades my face. It keeps my head dry. It keeps my hair, when it is long, from blowing into my face. It helps with sight fishing under a high, bright sun. A good fishing hat must be comfortable. Unlike anything else, my fishing hat is with me on every single outing I make. Confidence and comfort is low without it. A good fishing hat isn't lucky, but if I want to have a good day I damned well have it on my person.

My old Rangeley Region Sport Shop Hat has been in declining condition for a while now, and on Friday I finally decided to retire it. It was no longer comfortable and was damaged beyond the point of repair. I switched my pins over to a reincarnation of my previous fishing hat, a Lane Trap Rock hat, and went out to do a little night fishing. The bite was OK. The hat felt a little uncomfortable. On Saturday I wore it again while fishing for bluegills and bullheads. For some reason the maroon brim felt wrong in the upper periphery of my vision after having a navy blue one there for more than 2 years. I went home, changed, including putting on a dry hat, and went out to and early dinner with the family. After dinner we made a quick stop for groceries. Behind the store was a creek, that section of which I had not fished. So I went to check it out. And I spotted this:

That is a bowfin. A species I have been trying to catch for a while now. Just sitting there in the shallows of a small freestone stream. Had I had a rod with me, I'm pretty sure I would have caught it. 

When I got home I switched my pins over to the hat I had been wearing. It was a bit more comfortable, it was the right color, and I had begun to believe this one might actually have a bit of mojo, considering the bowfin encounter. So I wore it fishing. And, though I knew the conditions were primed for it, I somewhat unwittingly stumbled into the best walleye bite I've ever had. 

In the waters I fish, schooling walleye are rarely accessible from shore, and even from a boat they are difficult to find with fly tackle. Two walleye is a good day. Three is exceptional. On this night I hooked seven and landed five, and only one was under 20 inches.

I pride myself in knowing when to stay and when to go and knowing how to best capitalize on bite windows. When the school I first found got shy, I knew where I had to go. The variables were clear to me. Current. Water temperature. Insect life. Bait fish. Structure. I moved to a spot where those variables should be almost the same, they were, and it payed off. That's when you know you are a good fisherman. I wasn't chasing reports, I wasn't following someone else. I saw potential, I chose an area that had been productive in the past under similar conditions, and when I had fished it out I knew where I could repeat that result. I did it on my own terms.

Stay on your toes. Fish in bad weather. Be mobile. Pay attention to detail. And, most importantly, find a comfortable hat.