Spring is in the air and that well known feeling of wanting to get out of the house and go fishing is surging through my body. I found myself in a sporting goods store the other day perusing the fishing lure isle. I was in the yard after mowing the lawn and realized I was walking around my small 12 foot fishing boat that is still covered from winter.
I have had people ask me over the years, "What's so fun about fishing?". They usually follow that question up with, "It's so boring!". From my perspective, they couldn't be further from the truth.
Fishing represents so much more than being entertained. It's time in the wilderness with fresh air and solitude. It's time to think and ponder on life's problems. It time to express gratitude and count your blessings. There is also the satisfaction of reading the water, observing a hatch and placing a lure or fly in the perfect spot. It's the excitement of the fish hitting the lure or fly and the twinge in your stomach as your reflexes set the hook.
For those of you who are reading this and you enjoy fishing...you get it. There is something about the time away fishing. Even if you don't catch anything, there is this feeling that it was still time well spent. There is the old fishing slogan that goes, "A bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work!".
Below you will find some links to articles on my blog about fishing. Some are childhood memories and some are more recent. I hope as you read these experiences, it fosters memories of your own and you are able to relive some of your fond experiences while fishing.
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-Simply being outdoors on a beautiful lake, stream, or the ocean.
-What you call boring, I call relaxing. Clearing my mind of all other worries and it being just about me against the fish can be cathartic.
-Getting away from work and the responsibilities of family life for a while.
-The hunt. Using the skills I've developed over the years to figure out where the fish are and what they will bite on.
-The anticipation. Many Americans find soccer and baseball to be boring. I've always found them to exciting due to the anticipation. The constantly being on the edge of your seat knowing that a goal or run can come suddenly out of seemingly nowhere. Fishing is like that, it's filled with anticipation. You may make 100 casts and on any one of them you could suddenly find yourself battling a fish, sometimes a big one. You never know what is going to happen on any cast.
-The education. Learning about the habits of certain species, where they hang out under certain conditions and what they are likely to be feeding on.
-The camaraderie. Spending time with friends and family in an atmosphere you can chat about life, politics, fishing, whatever it is that friends talk about.
-The solitude. Fishing alone where it's just me, my thoughts, the fish and nature.
And some things that actually have to do with catching fish.
-The fight. When you get a big fish on your line it can very exciting and quite a battle to bring the fish in before it breaks your line or simply shakes off the hook.
-Occasionally keeping the catch and having a dinner of fish far fresher than anything you can get in the supermarket.