Fall Season Begins

[dcarp]

Good Morning,

Today begins the first contest of the Fall Season. Please visit the Clubhouse for contest rules.

Please read all the rules carefully. There is a hardware prize this contest. The newly annointed RWFF Contest Prize Administrator, Bobcat John, will be gathering and putting together some nice prizes for this and future contests.

Be sure to join in the Online Fishing Trip tomorrow to practice and become accustomed to the Dechutes.

Give me a shout if you have any questions or comments.

Good Luck and Tight Lines!.

Dave (Dcarp)

[Carolmo]

Hi all!
I think I'm going to sit this contest out! Tooo hard for me! I couldn't get out of the first pool!
Tight lines and best of luck!
Carolmo

[Cutch]

Think I'll pass on this one too, folks. The first hole in Polis I hooked 3 big steelies. After playing each about 20 minutes, the hook pulled out of 2 and the 3rd broke off right by my feet. (Over an hour here on the first hole). I will spend that much time on a real Steelhead, in real life, but not in a game.
I'm retired, and have lots of free time, but I don't want to spend this much time fishing 4 rivers which would take hours and hours to finish the challenges. (If you wanted to land the big ones to place in the contest)
Hooking the fish is easy, but the time it takes to land them is a killer.

[Cutch]

Sorry, I should have read the rules more carefully. I thought only Steelhead and Salmon would be counted.
I will try it again and if I can't land the big ones in a decent time,...I'll just yank and break off, and try to hook smaller fish.
That way maybe I can complete the challenges without spending so much time. (fighting and losing the Steelhead.)

[taupo_tiger]

good morning @all,

so far i have finished all 4 challenges strictly according to the rules

this was my way:
after having lost a few big ones and a few hours - i chose a HUGE fly - hook number 2

thus the biting steelies got smaller and could be landed

i do know this is quite the contrary one would do in real fishing

but so are the rules this time, and although a thicker leader would be better, i guess always changing the rules during the contest is a little bit confusing
nevertheless - if the rules are changed in a way like: from friday on the leader is 2X - you will hear no veto from myself

tight lines and
all the best from vienna,
martin

[Cutch]

Martin,
I use ONLY #2 hooks in the rivers that hold Steelhead and Salmon.
I was halfway through Highland and hooked a medium sized Salmon. I fought this big guy for 32 minutes. Finally, while holding the rod up as high as I could, and the Salmon wiggling close to my feet,...the hook came out? GRRRR!! LOL

If you've fished streams for over 50 years for Steelhead and Salmon like I have,...you learn a few things. (real fast.)

If you're in a drift boat or fishing from the bank where you can move up and down the river and stay with the hooked fish,...you can use smaller leaders. But, if you're in a fixed position where you can't move with the fish, (like in our game), you're dreaming if you think you're going to land these fish over about 26 inches. Landing these "Big Uns" on light leaders in the game in a fixed position, is like opening the window in your home, and peeing into a hurricane,...very frustrating. LOL
Why frustrating? Because after a long battle (sometimes 30 minutes or longer), the hook pulls out or the leader breaks.
(It breaks even when you're holding steady pressure,...and not pumping the fish)

So, any future contest with rivers that hold Steelhead or Salmon, I think a minimum 10 lb lead should be allowed. (I prefer 12 lb like I used in real life where I fished from the bank and couldn't "run" with the hooked fish)

Remember, this is only my opinion.

Oh, I've completed 3 Challenges, can't get through Sheboygen,...hooking too many big Steelies and losing them. I'm breaking off the Steelhead, trying to catch trout only to complete the Challenge, but in some holes, the trout are scarce

[dcarp]

Hello Everyone,

I seem to have caused some turmoil with this contest. My apologies. I was simply trying to find a balance somewhere between the impossible and the kiddie "fish pond" you see at a carnival (you know the one - where a clothes pin is tied to the line, then the kid throws it over the brightly painted wall. Behind the wall someone attaches a plastic toy to the clothes pin, etc. etc. .....)

I don't want this to come off as me being offended by the comments - I am not. I appreciate all the comments and especially those where participants are offering advice to others. Some will choose to stick it out and accomplish the challenge and others won't. Again, it mimics real life fishing. Some will stand in the cold and rain and keep hope that a fish will strike.

I think that as time goes by, we will have contests that range in difficulty from easy to difficult. All comments and suggestions are welcomed here though and we will try to accomidate everyone. If we don't have a mix of contests, those that think they are too difficult will stop playing. Same goes for those that may get tired of easy contests. Please, please, keep sounding off. Everyone's opinion counts here and we'll keeping striving to create contests that are enjoyable. Afterall, it is just a game.

I've also seen the posts regarding the "bug" (although I consider it a feature). When you hook a large fish on light tackle a fish may go into a seemingly endless jumping loop. The majority of the time, I am able to work through that within a couple minutes at the most. By working the rod high and low, left and right, giving slack, and tightening the drag (got to be careful then), it will usually end the jumping "loop".

As Taupo suggested, there are ways to avoid the big fish if you don't want to dedicate the 20 minutes + to a fish. Changing fly sizes, shallowing up your presentation depth with an indicator, using dry flies, etc. etc. Don't be afraid to experiment. Snapping off the big ones intentionally is another suggestion that will speed things up, if speed is what you're trying to accomplish. You are penalized for losing flies, but that is a fair penalty, don't you think??

Again, my intentions with this contest were not to frustrate everyone. I've received score postings already, so I know it's not impossible. And trust me, I would not put out a contest that I could not complete myself. I ran through the scenario twice prior to posting the rules. Hey, you've seen my previous scores, I'm not one of the better fisherman around here and I've completed it four times now. Admittedly, I struggle with the Polis and Sheyboygen though.

Not to worry, I'm sure we'll have a contest soon that's easier than shooting fish in a barrel. Then the folks that want more of a challenge will sound off. It's all good though. Like I said earlier, keep those comments and suggestions coming. We'll keep trying to mix it up and find ways to satisfy both extremes.

Tight Lines

Dave

[oppimax]

Dave,
I agree with you.
Thx.

Ciao
massimo

[nccorthu]

i tried Polis and also the highlands. Lucky on the highlands didn't hit any big one However on the polis the only way through was to put on stuff that no self respecting virtual Steelie would hit and if so they finally break offf on the 4X leader tippet before I could get them in . The problem is that the 4X leader restriction is too little. I can't beat it and get anything but the little one's

Gary O

[Pitti]

The contest runs for one week. Please don't give up after 2 days.
I also agree with Dave. The last contest was very easy. Now it time for a little bit more challenge, I think. Next contest will be again easy.

I know the frustration of Dave, because I got mails nearly every contest.
"Too hard", "too easy", "too long", "too short" and so on. Believe me, Dave do the best he can for motivate every guy here.

Thank you Dave
Regards Peter

[Carolmo]

Hi Guys!
I tried the first pool and decided not to try the contest. Then I tried again. I got a couple of decent fish but the time, lost flies and small fish balanced it out for a low score but I did try! Hang in there! If you persist you CAN get thru it!
Carolmo

[Cutch]

Pitti and Dave.
The contest DID NOT create any turmoil for me.
My post was meant for feedback, not criticism of the contests. Without feedback, how are you guys going to know what the contests should be?
Pitti has made this game so much more fun with the additions he's added, and you're doing a great job helping him with the contests and flies in the Clubhouse.

I would like to see the other members post what they would like in the contests as I have done Come on folks. let these guys know what you would like in the contests.

I have many PC games, mostly hunting and fishing, and a few racing games. Games I buy must be fun, challenging, and fairly realistic. RWFF has all 3 of these.
In order for me (remember this is ME, not other members) to enjoy any contest (hunting, fishing, racing, etc), they must be meet this criteria.

I fish only in the expert mode in RWFF. (again, I don't expect others to do this). When we have a contest, I try fishing with the rules. IF the fishing is too easy, or the equipment is too heavy for small fish, or too light for big fish,....I lose interest.

In the past, I fishing from the bank, running up and down a stream fighting a Steelhead or Salmon. This varied from a half hour an hour, and I only landed about 1 out of 3 hook ups, But, I used heavier leaders.
(10 or 12 lb.)
Sittting in my chair and tugging back and forth on a fish for that length of time, just doesn't interest me. (Again, to each his own)

You guys are doing a great job, (I've said it in many posts), so keep it up. We've all different and will choose the contests we want to compete in,...that's the way it is.

[dcarp]

Cutch,

I really appreciate your honest feedback. You are right on the mark! The more people who make their feelings known, the better the contests will be!

Thank you for putting it out there!

Dave

[taupo_tiger]

hello @all,

to put my interests here in also:
the more difficult the rules, the more it interests me

i loved the contest "biggest fish with 8x leader", which unfortunately had to be cancelled due to program reasons

and i love this contest

chacun à son goût......

all the best,
martin

[Carolmo]

Hello all!
I am new at this but I don't mind a contest being difficult because I can chose to enter it or not! What I don't like is the fighting a fish for 20+ minutes and having him turn into one of those Jumping Jack fish (on the Polis) ! I try everything and then just have to break off! I could have done a lot better, I think, on that river if that didn't happen. I did catch a 33" one but he wasn't a jumping jack!
Keep up the good work!
carolmo