The Analogy of the Swiss Army Knife

In a world where we tend to spend much of our efforts and time specializing in certain pursuits, it’s a breath of fresh air to see someone place value on being flexible and becoming proficient at a multitude of different things. Over and over again we see so much emphasis placed on one style of fishing or on one species of fish while seemingly disregarding so many others at the same time. This line of thinking always struck me as odd and it still does today.

I’m fairly certain many folks have heard the four basic descriptions of fishermen. I first heard Larry Dahlberg use these descriptions and they certainly make sense.

“Beginning fishermen just want to catch a fish; it doesn’t matter what kind or how they do it. The next level of fishermen want to catch a bunch of fish, and again, method doesn’t matter. The third level of fishermen wants to catch a big fish regardless of method. Finally, the fourth level of fishermen wants to catch a particular species while using a specific technique.”

I would certainly say these descriptions are fair and accurate for the most part but they also somewhat discount the angler who takes it upon themselves to become good at a multitude of techniques. By becoming a human version of the Swiss army knife you can greatly increase your odds at not only catching fish but catching fish in a variety of circumstances and conditions.

I guess I should probably explain the Swiss army knife analogy a little further in order to get the desired point across. Take for instance a fisherman who does nothing but fish one technique for one species. Our coast is full of these folks. Day in day out they wade fish while throwing artificial plugs at speckled trout. I personally love doing this, as do many of the TSFM readers, and there is nothing wrong with fishing this way until it’s not the best choice for actually catching fish.

Many Texas anglers shun the use of live baits as if they were the plague. Many anglers look down on other fishermen for actually choosing to use live bait as if they are somehow less of an angler. Personally I don’t agree with that line of thinking, using live bait requires a different skill set in order to be really good at it. Just because you rig up a mullet or a shrimp doesn’t mean fish magically jump into the boat by the dozen. You still have to know some things to catch fish consistently.

Understanding and perfecting different techniques doesn’t make you less of an angler, it actually makes you better. Look at all the different styles of fishing the offshore guys have to know in order to put fish on the deck. They need to know how to fish bottom structure, how to troll, how to rig live baits, or what type of plug to use to catch all those different species in the gulf. It just makes sense to become a well-rounded angler, especially if you happen to be a guide.

The vast majority of guides along the coast have no idea about what type of skill level their customers possess, unless of course they happen to be repeat customers. Some guides stick to one particular style of fishing and leave it up to their clients to fit that description instead of the other way around. A guide who specializes in shallow water sight-casting with fly gear expects their clients to want to fish using those techniques, which is perfectly fine and well within the guide’s expectations. This situation happens on a daily basis for some guides who choose to operate this way and it works well for those who do it until the situation calls for a different tactic. All manner of factors can change the outlook for the day in the blink of an eye and all of a sudden you are left with little to no options.

Let’s play out a scenario to illustrate both ends of the spectrum between being specialized or flexible. An angler from out west, say Colorado, wants to come to the Texas coast with his fly rod and catch a redfish. He books a guide who specializes in just that style of fishing. Our angler shows up on the day of the trip and has all the factors working in their favor which leads to a fantastic day on the water and everybody has a great time. Next day sees a new angler show up with the same goals but is met with a completely different set of conditions, now what? As a guide you do everything in your power to accommodate the anglers wishes of trying to catch a redfish on fly but you quickly see it’s not going to happen that day, what do you do?

You have a few choices and they are very clear depending on whether or not the guide is flexible. The guide who does nothing but cast flies will either have to spend a miserable day on the water knowing full well they are against all the odds, cut the trip short and offer a discount, or cancel altogether. None of these options are appealing but from time to time it happens.

The flexible guide shines in these situations because they can offer their client other options such as maybe using some conventional gear or perhaps even targeting a different species of fish in order to salvage the day. Time is a precious commodity and that angler who has prepared for this day on the water deserves every chance to catch a fish and have a great experience because this may be the only day they have to fish for who knows how long. It’s important to be able to do as many things as possible in order to help that person have the best day on the water they can possibly have.

Flexibility as an angler will no doubt enable you to catch more fish but that in no way is a knock against those who prefer to specialize in a certain technique or species of fish. In fact, we all owe some thanks to those who spend countless hours learning all the small nuances that enable us to catch those fish and sharing those techniques with the rest of the fishing world.

I know personally I have learned many valuable lessons from other anglers that I still incorporate into my daily routine. By taking that information and using it to become a more well-rounded angler we can all enjoy more quality days on the water and perhaps be successful on some of those days that are less than ideal. Do yourself a favor, keep your options open, learn new techniques, and be versatile. I promise it will pay dividends.