90% -10% I don’t believe it…

FATC is somewhat famous for repeating some of the tips we should never forget.

“Mend, mend, mend” and “hook sets are free” are a couple that come to mind.

I can’t really argue with those and they seem harmless enough .

But one of those that I keep hearing is kinda beginning to grate on me. It’s the statement of

“Jason Randall’s 90/10 rule in trout fishing, which states that 90% of the fish are found in 10% of the water. And that 10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish.”

I have the greatest respect for Jason, and have learned a lot from him (in person) and his podcasts. But I just don’t believe this one.

Possibly it intended to be a hyperbole (overstatement )..

For those who aren’t exactly certain, one of the definitions of “hyperbole” it is :

“A figure of speech in which the expression is an evident exaggeration of the meaning intended to be conveyed, or by which things are represented as much greater or less, better or worse, than they really are; a statement exaggerated fancifully, through excitement, or for effect.”

Since many of the lessons in flyfishing are about understanding the “subtleties “, use of hyperbole here seems out of place, and actually counter productive

In fact, if taken literally one must decide if each (or even any of us ) should consider ourselves to be in The 10% that are catching the 90% of the fish on any given day.

Now I’ve had some fabulously lucky days, over achieving where I caught more than my share of fish.

I’ve also had days when trying new flies, new techniques or new places, where I’ve not done all that well.

Am I in the 10% or not ? Should I find out who the 10% are and just not fish those days they are in the water? After all, only 10% of the fish are available to me to be caught that day, right  ? Exactly what is this statement trying to tell us ?

And just where exactly is that 10% of the water that holds the 90% of the fish ?

Does that means in any 100 yard stretch there’s only 10 yards that hold fish ? And if so, why bother to fish the rest ? How do you find new fish if you don’t explore ?

This idea of 10% of the water holding 90% of the fish makes no sense to me either.

This is because even the 90% of us dummies (chasing the 10%) will eventually stumble upon the 10% of the spots holding the fish and will remember the spots, both in stocked and in unstocked waters. Thus those spots will get fished more heavily and in time contain many fish. [Brown town of a couple years ago, which was supposed to be a “secret”, hiding in plain sight, is an example.]

Areas getting fished out eventually will happen as the 90% of unskilled fishermen will see others in those spots fishing and catching, and will fish there also over time.

I say it’s time to retire the old saw of “Jason Randall’s 90/10 rule in trout fishing, which states that 90% of the fish are found in 10% of the water. And that 10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish.”

It’s demeaning to us as fisherman, implying some of us are just not as good as others, with a kind of superiority by some that can be waved in the faces of newer, less experienced fishermen. It also gives the impression we are each in a competition of some sorts with each other, trying to claw our way into the top 10%. It implies  there’s some quota we are expected to maintain.

It minimizes the pleasure of being on the water in nature, interacting with the fish.

And lastly, it’s just plain not true !

I say we ditch it …

Dan Stag.

17 June 2026