Two things to get us started.
First, this is a long post, 1,022 words to be exact, but it will be worth it.
Second, I absolutely realize that the headline makes it sound like some crazy, infomercial snake oil designed to help you part with some of your hard earned cash—but it isn’t.
I am not talking about some magical bait or attractant, or some crazy new technique making the rounds on the professional tournaments. I am talking about a simple, time tested principle.
Pareto’s Principle, to be exact.
Pareto’s Principle Or The Law Of 80/20
Pareto
If you’ve never heard of this principle before, it was conceived by Vilfredo Pareto, and Italian economist, who observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population, and that 20% of his pea pods produced 80% of his peas.
Besides the fact that I had no idea that Italians ate peas, this idea has revolutionized my life over the past 8 years or so.
I began to apply it ruthlessly in every area of my life. Here are a few of the things I discovered:
- I wore 20% of my clothes 80% of the time
- 80% of my income was a direct result of 20% of my effort
- I ate 20% of my groceries 80% of the time (learning this helped save an enormous amount of money!)
- I hung out with 20% of my friends 80% of the time
- I called 20% of the contacts in my phone 80% of the time
Now, these numbers are approximations. There are times when the distribution was as high as 95/5 and as low as 70/30, but the general principle holds true.
So, if you’ve reached this part of the post, you are probably wondering what the heck this has to do with fishing. This is where this starts to get fun, and the data are pretty remarkable.
Pareto Meets The Chattahoochee River
The data you are about to read were compiled on a late afternoon trip fly fishing on the Chattahoochee River a few weeks ago. The results are pretty staggering.
Here it is:
- Fishing time from 2:15pm-6:20pm (total 245 minutes)
- Total fish caught: 7
- Total flies used: 9
These are the raw numbers, but, they don’t tell the whole story. I keep a meticulous fishing journal when I go out, and here is more data that surprised me:
- 4 fish were caught between 3:15pm-4:12pm, may most productive window of time (that’s roughly 57% of my fish in a window of time that represents 23% of my total fishing time)
- 1 fish was caught between 2:30pm-3:15pm (14% of fish, in 18% of my time)
- 2 fish were caught between 4:13pm-6:20pm (28% of fish, in 51% of my time)
- Out of 9 total flies, all fish were caught on two, the Parachute Adams, and Zebra Midge (that’s 100% of my fish, using 22.22% of my flies for that day)
Here is one last way to look at the data:
- If you combine my least productive window (2:30pm-3:15pm) with my most productive window (3:15pm-4:12pm), you are left with 5 fish in 112 minutes, or 71% of fish in 45% of the time.
- If you combine my most productive window, with my second most productive (4:13-6:20), you have 6 fish in 184 minutes, or 85% of fish in 75% of the time.
Now remember, this is the real world, and the numbers probably won’t line up perfectly, but, they are so close that it is worth looking at.
What To Do With This Data—Next Steps
So what should be done with this data. Is it simply fun, or should there be some action as a result?
I believe both. There is some action to be taken, and it’s fun to play with the numbers like that. Let’s start with the first action step.
1. Thinning The Herd
What I have done since gathering this data is go through my fly box and take a good hard look. Since I have years worth of detailed data in my fishing journals, I can go back a long way and see what is producing and what isn’t.
I have some flies in my box that I was sure would produce fish—and they haven’t. Oh well, to the trash, and on to the next.
I have some flies in my box that I thought might be winners, and they’ve pulled a few fish here and there. Good bye, thanks for playing.
I have some flies that I knew where trout candy, and have produced fish again, and again, and again. With the extra room in my fly box, an order was made for more of these MVP’s.
Next up is my bass fishing tackle boxes with the same scrutinizing eye.
2. It’s All In The Timing
Here is the next valuable insight the data provide: it is possible to maximize a small window of fishing time.
I love spending all day at the lake or river as much as the next guy, maybe more. That isn’t always possible, though. I have a business, a wife, a young daughter, and a million other priorities that require my time and attention, as I am sure you do as well.
So having all day to fish is not often a luxury that finds it’s way into my life.
The data prove that this doesn’t mean I shouldn’t fish. Quite the contrary, it just means I should fish during the best periods of time to maximize my enjoyment and catch the most fish.
To put another way, get the best possible outcome from the least amount of effort.
Grab A Notebook, And Have Some Fun
Being able to perform a detailed analysis of a trip like I have done here is only possible because I keep a detailed fishing journal. I absolutely encourage you to do the same, and perform your own 80/20 analysis.
Any old notebook will do, and it’s a lot of fun to go back and look at your notes. Very soon, I will publish a post that details my own journal that you will be able to use as a template.
Don’t wait for that though—grab a notebook, track your own data, and take a good look through the lens of Pareto’s Principle. You will quickly discover what is working, and what is not.
Do more of what works, do none of what doesn’t!
See ya on the water…