Hanna Robbins with a bass caught on a chatterbait at Lake El Salto Mexico

“She was practiced at the art of deception.”

For someone who had never picked up a rod and reel until her mid-30s, except to catch a few summer camp bluegills, Hanna has evolved into a remarkable angler. Not only is she passionate about chasing just about everything that swims across a range of continents and environments (everything from the hippo-laden extremities of the Zambezi River to the ice of Milwaukee Harbor) but she’s also shown a remarkable knack for catching big fish.

I’ve had the unique perspective to be able to watch all of that growth over the 17 years that we’ve been together – as she’s progressed from a skeptical-but-not-squeamish neophyte into a frequent trip leader. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the entirety of her fishing career and I’ve watched carefully. OK, maybe when we’re in our bass boat I’m focused on my own deal, and when we’re trying something new like fly fishing for cutthroats or popping for yellowfins I’m concentrating just a bit more on my own learning curve. At El Salto, however, where we share the front deck while the guide runs the trolling motor from the back, I can really concentrate on the things she does well and those that need improvement.

She’ll always be my favorite partner for both objective and subjective reasons. I also think that our marriage is strong enough to withstand a constructively critical assessment of her skill set. Remember, she’s caught more bass over 8 pounds than most of you hairy-legged dudes, and she’s caught them in a wide variety of ways, so nothing in what follows is meant to disparage her, but I do think I’m a pretty good talent evaluator and coach. Here’s my breakdown:

Hanna Robbins with her personal best largemouth from Lake Picachos Mexico

THINGS SHE DOES WELL

As noted above, Hanna has gone from rank amateur to someone who has fished for bass with several Elite Series winners and all over the globe for a variety of species. In Zambia, she caught Chiawa Camp’s biggest tigerfish of the season. In Alaska, she more or less taught herself to fish a fly rod mouse for trout, char and grayling. She’s caught trophies of various species. As former NFL coach Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are.” Her record is pretty damn strong. Here’s my breakdown of why that’s the case:

She loves the whole experience – She’s positive about every day on the water, enjoying not just the angling experience, but also the people, the scenery and the wildlife. She wakes up ready to go and without specific expectations, which leads her to “fish the moment” and the circumstances rather that trying for force a square peg into a round hole.
She has made the transition from “how” to “why” – If you give any reasonably competent angler the right lure in the right place, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll experience success. She’s curious enough that she wants to know why something works and how to make it work better. I’ve watched that progression unfold before my eyes. She’ll still never be a tackle junkie like me, but she’s inquisitive and intelligent enough that she’s never going to rest on her laurels.
She’s eminently coachable – If you tell her calmly and clearly why what she’s doing wrong, 90% of the time (see the notable exception, below) she’ll fix it on her own. She wants to do well and doesn’t let an ego get in the way of developing good habits.
She has a big fish knack – I’m really not sure if it’s something that can be pinpointed, but there’s some habit – perhaps something physical – that leads her to catch bigger than average fish across all species.

THINGS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT

She needs to have more confidence in herself -- She’s a solid caster, but if invited to cast at a breaking fish at the edge of her range, or in between two bushes, she’ll occasionally flub casts that she’d otherwise make. She also defers to others as to which lures to fish sometimes rather than trusting her gut. That’s gotten better, but her confidence is still not commensurate with her skill and knowledge.
Her hooksets are occasionally weak – She still hasn’t bought into the maxim that “hook sets are free” and tends to be tentative or occasionally out of position when it’s time to strike. This has been a bugaboo since her earliest days, so it’s likely etched in muscle memory and may be tough to correct. Nevertheless, I’m sure it can be improved.
Limited casting angles – She’s typically an excellent caster from an overhand position, but has limited abilities to make side armed or roll casts, and her pitching still leaves much to be desired. I’ve tried to help her improve, but it’s usually in the heat of battle. We need to take some time out to work on that.
Slow to rise – When the guide at El Salto stops the boat, I’m usually on the deck long before she’s out of her seat. Sometimes I’ll make several casts before she makes her first one, often because her rods have tangled during a move, or she failed to change baits between spots. On the one hand, this is not a fair criticism, since it’s a vacation, not a tournament situation. On the other hand, the first cast is often the best cast and her delays can hurt her.

THINGS THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE

These last two items could be under the “need improvement” banner, but since I know her extremely well, I know that they’re probably never going to change, so the onus is on me to learn to deal with them.

Doesn’t deal well with inclement weather – She hates the cold, which is odd for someone raised in Chicago (as she explains, “I got the hell out of there”). She’s compensated for this mostly by investing in good raingear and other fishing apparel, and when we’re at home she typically does not go when the temps will be a little nipply.
She talks a lot – One of the hardest parts of our partnership is that I love silence and she talks a lot. I’ve come to realize that it’s not a defect, or a dealbreaker, but just how she processes information. She observes things and then speaks them aloud. I’ve learned to tune out the unnecessary parts. Still, even for verbal processors I don’t think you can fully focus on what you’re doing when you’re also talking. If she would cut down the extraneous noise by 50%, she’d likely catch even more and bigger fish. But now I’m going to shut up, lest I get myself in trouble.

Again, I think our marriage is strong enough to withstand this sort of assessment. I also believe that quality coaching, even if it hurts a little, is the best way to get better at something. With that in mind I’d invite Hanna to grade me. At the very least, I intend to provide a report card of my own plusses and minuses in the upcoming weeks.