I have kept one for years although its in the most minimalist form nowadays. Sometimes just a line.
I note date, venue, swim, also time fished. I jot down what I caught often just a number if its little ones or a weight if I weighed a bigger one. I also usually note if I took a photo of a fish…this does help if you build up a load of photos on a memory card but cant remember much about the fish when you look back…you can track it back to an entry in the diary.
I only note tackle or tactic changes if there is something of note that changes. As I am usually trying to target larger fish rather than match type fishing I am not swapping things around too much so I will already know what I was using without having to note it.
I also try and note something about the day that may help me remember it …fell in, saw a plesiosaur… etc etc …
The thing is although I have this idea I will look back through the diaries and reminisce, I never really do. Were they have been useful is to remember precise details of were a fishing spot was exactly. Its very easy to forget if you find a remote place then don’t visit it for a long time and also to keep a running tally of fish if you looking to build up a picture of the stock in a water.
I found writing in a paper diary a real chore so I switched over to digital a while back. What I do now is to note the entry in something like notepad on my phone or even directly in an email that I send to myself…then cut and paste the text into a digital diary after. It makes it a bit less of a pain. Often if I am concentrating on one place for a while I can just cut and paste the previous entries and change a few points…..e.g…Tuesday 10th September, Fished the tree swim on the river, 6-8pm ..blanked again, brolly blew in river.
I note date, venue, swim, also time fished. I jot down what I caught often just a number if its little ones or a weight if I weighed a bigger one. I also usually note if I took a photo of a fish…this does help if you build up a load of photos on a memory card but cant remember much about the fish when you look back…you can track it back to an entry in the diary.
I only note tackle or tactic changes if there is something of note that changes. As I am usually trying to target larger fish rather than match type fishing I am not swapping things around too much so I will already know what I was using without having to note it.
I also try and note something about the day that may help me remember it …fell in, saw a plesiosaur… etc etc …
The thing is although I have this idea I will look back through the diaries and reminisce, I never really do. Were they have been useful is to remember precise details of were a fishing spot was exactly. Its very easy to forget if you find a remote place then don’t visit it for a long time and also to keep a running tally of fish if you looking to build up a picture of the stock in a water.
I found writing in a paper diary a real chore so I switched over to digital a while back. What I do now is to note the entry in something like notepad on my phone or even directly in an email that I send to myself…then cut and paste the text into a digital diary after. It makes it a bit less of a pain. Often if I am concentrating on one place for a while I can just cut and paste the previous entries and change a few points…..e.g…Tuesday 10th September, Fished the tree swim on the river, 6-8pm ..blanked again, brolly blew in river.
