Revealing Fishing Spots and why I don’t

You might have recognised that in most posts on ExpediTom I am not revealing fishing spots. Here’s why!

ExpediTom shares fly fishing stories from all over the world with his audience. However, only in certain posts I am revealing spots where exactly I am fishing. One example where I told the location was the post about the Halong Bay in Vietnam as well as in the video about the Tongariro river. Still, in the majority of posts about fishing in Switzerland, Slovenia and New Zealand, I conceal the exact location. The reasons to avoid posting the exact location are diverse, but I want to highlight one of them.

I am not revealing fishing spots because from my point of view it would destroy your fly fishing experience. As many fisherman have pointed out before me, we do not fishing because of the catch. Fly Fishing is rather the experience from tying an imitation of an insect at the bench, venturing outdoors, exploring new waters and in the end, if everything falls into place, one might catch a fish. If you do so, you will feel at total bliss. If you do not catch a fish you still have the experience of anticipation from the vise at home until the exploring of unknown waters. This is what it is all about.

By revealing fishing spots, I would interrupt this sequence of fly fishing, which eventually leads to success. Assuming I would told you where I go fishing, there are two possibilities: On the one hand you might go where I told you and catch a fish. Thus, you will know what to expect there because you have seen it in a post here and I suppose you would be quite happy about the success. Yet, to the success of finding new waters yourself and being successful is unparalleled. On the other hand, it might end that the reality experienced at a fishing spot does not live up to one’s expectations and might leave you even disappointed.

[…] before a river reveals its true secrets, you have to get to know it first. Such a friendship with a river requires time.

Neither of both options provides anyone with the true fly fishing enjoyment in comparison to explore waters by oneself. For sure, I could tell you certain places where to cast which fly to convince trout to bite, but you would miss the point about fly fishing: Being immersed into nature, starting to care for the environment and to question the connection of food sources. Thus, it is veritable that before a river reveals its true secrets, you have to get to know it first. Such a friendship with a river requires time.

Another reason to keep fishing spots secret is the angling pressure. However, this topic I will cover later.

Summary about revealing fishing spots

In the end, everyone has to decide by themself, whether to reveal fishing spots or not. I decided not to tell the exact locations on ExpediTom.

In my understanding of fly fishing the experience counts. Therefore, telling the audience the place to go is contra productive for sharing the passion of fly fishing  with a community. Subsequently, on ExpediTom you will find mostly rough directions where to my sojourn took me. Sometimes, I might deliver the name of a river and places, but it strongly depends on the occasion and situation of the river.

Nevertheless, there is an option to get to know some places, where I fish. For instance, by contacting me on tom@expeditom.com or Facebook to go fishing together.

What do you think about revealing fishing spots?