Persistence may not be perceived as one of the most important components in fishing but is imperative. The “experts” speak of technique, gear, lure/bait/fly selection, “reading the water”, destination, or time of the year as prime determinates of success. Although all are important, persistence ranks highest for me. Simply being on the water is paramount, and when combined with the other components mentioned above, success is almost assured. Don’t get the wrong impression, fishing is fishing. When the fish aren’t biting, the catch rate suffers for the angler barring use of alternative methods such as nets or dynamite, which are significantly more effective!

I have fished the same waters at the same time of the year using the same techniques and the same flies year after year. Most years are average of course, but sometimes the fishing gods smile divine and I am blessed with very short snippets that create memories and keep anglers fishing. Like fishing on the Blackfoot river with Josh outside Missoula, Montana and landing a Bull trout on a dry fly. A feat that few have managed. Or hooking a Skamania (a summer run Steelhead trout) on a stimulator (type of dry fly) while brown trout fishing in July on the Pere Marquette river in West Michigan. These rivers were fished year after year. Persistence.

For many years we have fished in Louisiana, south of New Orleans, during the same week in December. Some years yielded little success like the year of record cold that saw streets iced up and water pipes bursting. The fishing yielded little to no results. We froze in the boat, expecting warm weather, and we saw many Redfish, our quarry, floating dead in the current. But we continued our quest in that year and the years that followed. Some years saw outstanding results. Persistence.

These days spring and early summer are spent fishing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for Brook trout on the region’s small streams. Its remote waters yield both serenity and solitude. I keep a journal documenting each outing. Weather conditions including precipitation and sky conditions are recorded along with the flies used and the catch carefully detailed as to size and species of trout. Past years’ records are reviewed each Spring looking for similarities and patterns. Most data are simply useless information, but a few snippets reveal knowledge that can only be attained through careful observation and, of course, persistence.

Persistence is an essential quality for the successful investor. Traders make bets hoping to time things just right, but an investor side steps the ravages of volatility with persistence. Consistently being in the market is a requirement, in our opinion, to successful investing. Of course, persistence is easy most times as markets rise. Difficulty occurs during the market downturns, when everything seems to scream “cash out.” But history reveals that timing the exit and retry into the markets is fraught with risk. We believe that staying the course is the best response. Persistence.

As always, we thank you for your business and for your continued trust.

Sincerely,

Jack P. Cannata