A series of events recently occurred that made me decide to write this article. The first event was a discussion that went on the chat board awhile back, and the second was a conversation that I got into at work. I was asked, "How can you get any enjoyment out of fishing? I tried it and was bored to death!". The chat board conversation revolved around a posting by Greg Bolinski, owner of Agate Bay Lodge, who posed questions regarding his guests keeping large pike (see the postings http://www.esoxhunter.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=173). While these two situations seem outwardly very different, they really are not! In both cases, the people involved, in my opinion, didn't have a clue about what true fishing is all about.
The person at work didn't see the value of fishing and the person at Greg's lodge thought it was economical to keep fish as a food source for the table, regardless of any thought to anything else. Lets first address the second type of individual, the "meat fisherman". First of all, these people can ruin fishing for everyone by literally taking the breeding population out of the lake. They don't care about the future of fishing or anybody else. They live for the now, and aren't concerned about the future. These concepts are abundantly clear, but beside being selfish, anybody that goes fishing with the sole purpose of obtaining food, surely hasn't excercised any common sense. It wouldn't take long to list all the expenses that go into a fishing trip to see that there isn't a way in the world that it can be justified financially. Just for openers, between travel to the resort, meals, lodging, licenses, and even a modicum of fishing equipment will cost at least a thousand dollars. If you bring back 25 edible pounds of fish, that is $40.00 a pound!!! If you took that same $1000, and bought walleye filets for $12.00/pound (that is cleaned, fileted, and ready to go) if purchased in a store, that would translate to a little over 83 pounds with absolutely no effort put forward and a guaranteed return for the outlay. Tim Mead mentioned that he was recently at a resort where a group of guys had caught their limits of walleye in the first few days of their trip, and said they were going home to save any additional expenses. They couldn't justify any additional time and money, as they had their fish! The question that begs to be asked, why did they go in the first place? A lot of people that fish enjoy eating fish, myself included, but it is not my motivation to fish just for food.
So how do you explain the many joys that a true fisherman finds in the sport? For openers, many fisherman simply enjoy getting away from the television, telephone, newspaper, radio, their job, and people in general. This mere disconnection seems to releave you of your troubles, and the associated tension that goes with it. It is like taking a breather in the race of life. Getting out in nature, literally away from society, breathing the clean fresh air, is just a totally relaxing experience. I can honestly say when I fish, I don't think of anything but fishing.
Everyone that really loves fishing, loves to be in the outdoors. Whether it is spring, summer, fall or even winter, nature always offers something to be heard or seen. These things are just a side benefit of being out there. While you don't need a camera to appreciate these benefits, it just helps to perserve them. I always carry a camera with me in the boat for taking catch photos, but also to take pictures of nature. Here are just a few of the pictures that I took on my last vacation to Canada. Click on a picture to enlarge it:
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These sights literally abound while you are fishing, all a person has to do is open eyes, his mind, and appreciate what God has provided.
Most fisherman enjoy the challenges of fishing! There is a personal challenge where you as a fisherman try to figure out where the fish are and what you need to do to get them to hit. It is literally pitting your knowledge of all the variables, the specie, the lake, the weather, fishing pressure, etc. against the actual location and mood of the fish. There is also the possibility of a challenge (spoken or non-spoken) between you and your fellow fisherman. Who catches the first, the biggest, the most. In the cabin it is called "Bragging Rights".
Last, but not least, is the joy of being with friends and family. There just is something special about spending time with somebody in the act of fishing. Times fishing have always had special memories for me. My dad passed away when I was only eleven years old, but the few times I got to spend with him fishing stick in my mind more than any other. I don't have much of an opportunity to spend time with my son, who is now 32 years old, with a family of his own, but we do share the love of fishing. The time we spend in the boat together is special. It is strange, we don't talk alot, as some might think, we don't have too.
In the past, I wrote another article which can be read on the website called "The Best Fishing Partner" . This article further exemplifies what fishing has meant between my wife and I. Fishing has played a major role in our relationship since we have been dating. Maybe fishing is only the excuse to get away, but I don't think so. As the article states, we have fished in a large variety of conditions, so there has to be something more than an excuse.
Maybe there is no explaining, something that can be explained. Maybe it is something that is just inherent in an individual or it isn't. Regardless, I can only hope that sharing these feelings will help other people understand the crazy breed called "fisherman", or might make somebody interested enough to at least give it a try.
Click the mailbox to e-mail. Last updated on ... October 15, 2004