Fish are not to add tons of calories but rather for protein. I find that reasonably priced, light weight, compact, chemical-free protein sources are hard to find. I am not a fan of those "protein powders" which if not too sweet are too expansive and have an ingredient list a mile long! I would rather chew my protein than drink it.

Fish are a supplement to reduce the weight of backpack food, not to replace food. Fishing is also a bit of work, so if you do not enjoy fishing, do not do it. I did not fish much when I was younger but now as I am not able to walk hard for 12 hours each day, fishing has become enjoyable camp activity.

My fishing gear weighs 11 oz. So I figure I have to at least get 11 oz. of eatable fish to break even. The percentage of fish meat varies with fish size with the larger fish providing more meat. 8 inch fish are a wonderful tasty addition to any meal, but not much in meat. Comparing the amount of fish meat I eat on the average to a 2.5 oz. package of tuna I think I average about 5-6 oz. each meal when I fish. Catching one big fish is more efficient both in meat gained and less work since it takes about as much time to clean a 8-inch fish as a 16-inch fish.

I definitely have been skunked, but that is pretty rare. Also, as I get better at fishing, I am more successful. On the average it takes at least an hour fishing to be worthwhile. I just fish at the end of the day and never take a rest day just to fish.

And then there is the fishing license. Out of state can be more than $100 and hardly worth it for one or two trips. I feel I can justify the expense with an in-state license since I use it a lot.