A True Fisherman?

[RobHall]

I was having a conversation with a buddy the other day and the topic of fishing came up. He proceeded to ask me if I was a "True Fisherman". I replied....What is your definition of a True Fisherman? One of his comments was.....A True Fisherman will fish on both hard and soft water. I thought about what he said and realized that i very rarely (if at all) fish on hard water. According to my buddy....i am not a "True Fisherman". I disagreed with his view of course. I believe you don't have to fish on hard water to be considered a True Fisherman.

 

Thoughts?

 

On a side note....

 

Many fishermen say things like, "I don't care if I catch fish, just so long as I can be out there in nature." Or, "I just like the scenery, the trees, the sky, etc . . . ." Or, "I love the sound of the water lapping against the side of my boat. Catching fish is a just a bonus." These remarks sound good, but you and I both know that most folks go fishing to catch fish. If you really don't care if you catch fish when you go fishing, can you be considered a True Fisherman? IMO No. I have yet to meet a fisherman who could look me square in the eye and say without hesitation, "I really don't care if I catch fish". You don't have to keep them, eat them, photograph or frame them, but you do have to catch them, at least once in a while.

 

IMO once you sort through all the things fishing includes...daydreaming, rod-building, fly-tying, camping, scenery, solitude, friendship, the love of nature, tradition, relaxation, a balm for the soul, and so on--what you find at the very core of fishing is the thrill and excitement of getting hold of a wild thing, a creature that will spend its entire essence in a struggle to break free. This is the thrill of the hook-up, the catch. Fish don't fight half-assed battles; they go to the mat every time. To us it may be sport, but to the fish it is a life or death struggle.

 

Cheers,

 

FOTB

[BryonG]

My year is broken down into four seasons.

1) Getting ready to go to Canada for the Spring Fishing trip

2) Spring Fishing in Canada

3) Getting ready to go to Canada fo the Fall Fishing trip

4) Fall Fishing in Canada

I don't know if I am a true fisherman or not bu I'm pretty sure that I have my priorities straight

[ccmtcanada]

I will sometimes say that "I dont care if I catch anything", and I do mean it. I'll typically say that if I'm taking my kids fishing. In those times, it's all about them and not me.

 

I've been ice fishing two times, and I have to say it's not high on my list of things to do. Does this make me less of a fisherman? Maybe.

 

The hard thing is what is a "true" fisherman. Some will say that if you dont don the waders and fish the tribs, then you are not a true fisherman. Some will say that if you dont have a boat you cant be a true fisherman.

 

There is not a single definition in my opinion...my thoughts are, if you like fishing then do it as often as you feel the urge. As long as you are happy then who cares how others categorize you.

[Toronto_Angler]

To me a true fisherman is someone who cares about the conservation practices of the industry. I'm not a fan of poachers or guys who go out and keep buckets of panfish which puts more pressure on our overfished lakes. True Fisherman help to clean up our lakes and sometimes even pick up other peoples litter. Without conservation there will no longer be any place for "true fisherman" to fish.

[tonyb]

I see the difference as recreational anglers vs hardcore anglers.

 

Recreational anglers are your fair-weather, weekend warrior, vacation only fishing, type people.

 

Hardcore anglers live life around fishing.

 

Everything else that you mentioned surrounding the activity of fishing spans across both categories. If you think about it, even hardcore guys will often remember the comraderie or beautiful surroundings more than actual fish in a given trip...

 

Tony

[lew]

I spose by your friends analogy, a person has to spend 365 days a year with a fish'n pole in his hands to be a true fisherman, and if that's his opinion, well then, he's entitled to it.

 

Myself, I have absolutely no interest in ice fishing, infact I find it to be about the most boring activity in the world.....well maybe next to bowling ......but that's just me, but I certainly don't think more or less about a person who does enjoy it, but I don't think it makes him anymore of a "true fisherman" than somebody who doesn't participate.

 

I also don't stream fish in the spring, although I think I may enjoy that, and may even give it a try some day.

 

My fishing season starts with the spring pickeral in early May, then musky opens the start of June and that becomes my only target fish till season closure December 15th.

 

I dunno, maybe I'm not a true fisherman by some folks opinion, but then again I've never been too caught up in titles or names, so I'm not really all that concerned with what some folks call others, or don't call them for that matter.

[Bob]

I've been a fisherman for more than 55 years and rain or shine, summer or winter, I was out there. I've caught more than my share of fish and some very large ones too. Now that I'm considerably older and somewhat arthritic, I watch the weather more. I've come to enjoy fishing in comfort as opposed to being cold, wet or in pain. I don't much care anymore if I catch fish or not but I still enjoy getting out there. Does this make me less of a fisherman? I don't think so.

 

I've had someone accuse me of not being a true Canadian because I don't care to watch hockey. Truth is, I don't watch any pro sports and I've never been a spectator. Does this really make me less of a Canadian? I'll leave it to you to guess how seriously I took his comment.

[Milty]

Why would anyone sit over a hole on ice to 'Fish',..when there are Stealhead in the rivers just waitin to be found is beyond me,....IMHO..a True Fisherman would brave the elements of a river hike in Jan/Feb over sittin in a hut bouncin a jig

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2007 by Milty