Fly Fishing the Stock Market: How to Search for, Catch, and Net the Market's Best Trades

APPENDIX A

My Trading Journal

Every dedicated fly fisherman keeps a fishing journal in which he routinely records details about each outing: the place, time, season, hatch, water flow and temperature, number and size of the fish caught, most effective fly—nymph, emerger, or dun pattern—and so on. It is enjoyable to periodically review and relive the memorable learning moments from previous experiences.

Similarly, I keep a trading journal to assist me in my trading activities. Each success is recorded; more importantly, each failure is inked upon the pages like a confession. If there is one catalyst that has facilitated my progress as a trader, it is this little book of secrets. In essence, it represents a combination of mistakes, successes, and commitments to change and improve. The subsequent execution of this evolving script has given rise to my personal learning curve. Each learned gem helps to raise the trajectory of my equity curve, while each corrected mistake helps to buffer my periodic future drawdowns.

In this appendix, I present a few of the pertinent penned notes that stand out. They are entries that contributed to my trading business plan and its ongoing revision. To me, they were prominent discoveries that became the dots that—when connected—formed the path toward becoming a more successful trader.

Perhaps you can relate to some of these dos and don'ts.