Does anyone keep a journal?

[87stocker]

I bought the movie "Only the River Knows" The Rolf Nylinder story. And It has made me think that maybe I should take a few min on the side of the stream/river, or the side of the hiking trail and start writing down a few of my thoughts. Who else records anything?

[pikergolf]

A journal is a great way to relive a trip, the more detailed you make it the more memories you can stir up years latter. I find sometimes it can be a trial to record every trip in fine detail. But I can tell you as someone who's done it for years that those trips of 25 yrs ago that I would have no memory of, when I took the time and wrote well, those memories will come back.

[Lornce]

Mine goes back to '68

[rycoma]

best way to remember good times to get out. If you have limited time it helps narrow the tougher times. Gives you a one up if you like. I have done it religiously for about five years now. Great tool.

[Boots270]

I take daily notes of the days most important events in a pocket journal.
I've done it for years.
It also helps when alzeimers kicks in haha

[87stocker]

Well I'm 30 this year and have given up at least 5 years of fly fishing and hiking journal. I'm also a parts man so remembering detail of the past 5 years is a cake walk. I'm starting this year. I will also do my best in the first few pages to record everything I missed. Starting tomorrow on the ice I will have a journal.

Here is the next question... Does anyone else read your journal?

[J D]

I have not kept notes for a few years but have in the past and I recommend it. It honestly made a huge difference in how I fish.

It does not just help with remembering the trip but also will help with future success if you keep the correct data.

If you keep date, weather, temp, # caught, water levels and what you used that day it will really help. Over time it will help big time when it comes to knowing the best conditions to fish, Best fly for that time, and when you should just fish another system.

It really opens up things about the waters you fish and why you have good and bad trips. There is so much we over look or forget and when you go back and read notes with data it can really open your eyes to things.

You just need to stick to it and you will benefit from it.

[Flieguy]

I've got a journal, I record fish, time of day & weather, what flies worked, hatches, and anything else I think might've helped.

I also record any info I trade with other angles in the back as a reference. It's led me to a lot of good places.

[Coulee]

I have kept an accurate journal since the 1980's. The 5W's and the exact number of each species caught. I also add the number of fish caught annually and add it to the grand total per each species. I fish a lot and have caught thousands of fish on lures and flies. So when someone says, "I probably caught 3000 trout this summer," in their mind maybe they did, but having kept accurate numbers all my life, I know that really means they caught about thirty.