Why do you fish?

[JohnF]

A couple of recent threads got me thinking about this. I know that too much introspection is not always good for the soul, but I'm frankly curious about what it is that gets us so caught up in this hunt for the elusive prey.

 

The way I see it we fish for a variety of reasons:

1. Meat - the old hunter/gatherer instinct driving us to provide for the family. I met one crazy dude working in a Dick's Sports Fishing dept who quite frankly admitted he was pure and simply a meat fisherman. With 2 1/2 ex-wives he had to watch the budget.
   
2. Recreation - a change from the everyday routines of work and home. "A change is as good as a rest."
   
3. Relaxation - giving the body & brain a break from the stress of today, or, as some might put it, changing your karma. We blow our brains out either with the challenge of our jobs or the mind-numbing experience of the same thing day after day and we sometimes really need to have a change of scenery.
   
4. Competition - cuz deep down we all wanna outdo the other guy. Even the best of friends need to one-up their buddies from time to time.
   
5. Focus - similar to relaxation. We need a break from the same old same old. Is fishing just a way out of the rut you're in? A new subject to focus on often helps to clear the clogged brain cells to make us better with the regular day to day stuff.
   

Perhaps none of you really want to analyze why you like fishing, but I think that it's interesting as an objective exercise, and it may even help a few of us to feel better about the money and time we put into this game. It's like "All work and no play makes Jack a dull PITA" or something like that.

 

For those of you who dare to question your own motives, you might like the findings. Try it. If it feels good, then share it with the rest of us. I for one am really interested in reading what motivates each of you to follow the fish. I won't bore you with my reasons, not yet anyway.

 

JF

[danc]

Actually none of the above John. To me it's the challenge, I think. There you are on any given lake or river. You know that there's fish in there. Your mission is to find them and then catch them. That's what drives me. I think.

[Dondorfish]

I love to be out on the water, in the boat - and the wife dosen't - guess thats why LOL

 

 

Don

[JohnF]

I thought of a couple more:

1. You're a gearpig and just like to gather more and more gear to fondle
   
2. There's some primeval/atavistic streak in you that compels you to hunt
   
3. The sheer joy of succeeding against nature
   
4. A reason to get out and experience the wilds
   

Some of you must have better reasons, or can at least do a better job of explaining some of the reasons I've suggested.

 

JF

[modny]

i just like getting away from the city and spending time with fam and friends. if i catch something its just a bonus.

[pokerdemon4]

Musky.

[urbanangler1990]

to me its a game of smarts, me vs the fish, fishing from shore i must approach the battlefield cautiously not to spook, carefully toss my bait near the fish, its an art really, moving the bait, feeling it on the bottom or top, when i hook one my heart speeds, most of the time the fish out smart me

 

i enjoy the reeling in of an angry fish which has been disoriented by my doings

[Marko]

I fish to give my body and my mind a break from our daily hustles.

Going to a lake or a river is like an escape from work, friends, gf`s.

Once i am on the water i leave everything behind and its just me and the rod and the fish.

[Moosebunk]

It started as time away with friends.

 

It later became time away from work.

 

Now it's needed and time well spent no matter why I do it.

 

 

 

I love a good Chess game with the fishies too, and I play to win every time.

[gone_fishin]

I think it's more or less an all-of-the-above type answer for me... i sometimes have a different reason to get out every time i go... but more often than not it's a combination of reasons why i go fishing...

 

There are times when i want to go out and get a nice feed of fresh fish... God knows i love a good fish fry!

 

There are times when i just want to get away from everything... relaxation... stress relief!

 

Competition... Sure! it's FAR from the ultimate reason why i love fishing, but sure, i love to beat out my friends and family... or better yet, beat out people i don't even know who are fishing in my spot! hahaha... there's nothing better when you're bringing in your 10th or 15th fish and everyone around you is cursing at you and asking what you are using to catch all those fish! and then when they switch to a similar or exact same bait, they still can't catch anything! LOL!

 

recreation/hobby... something to do on the weekends to get away from it all!

 

how about exposing friends to the sport/hobby of fishing... i've taken several people who either rarely go out or have never been out fishing before... i love teaching people what i know about fishing...

 

experiencing the outdoors... getting away from the the city... experiencing the beauty of nature!

 

someone also mentioned the challenge of fishing... i LOVE a good challenge! trying to figure out where the fish are, and what conditions i should be fishing in certain areas, and what baits i should be using at certain times...

 

 

 

or hell, maybe it's everything i've mentioned all wrapped up into one nice little package...

 

I have always loved the outdoors, since before i can even remember... my grandparents lived on a farm in scarborough, with the rouge river running through their property, lots of forestry and wildlife... also, i was introduced to fishing when i was approx. 5 or 6 years old when our neighbours invited our family to their cottage... i've grown up fishing with my dad and my brother... and we make it a competition everytime we go out together... we also love coming home to a nice cold beer after fishing, then cooking up our catch and having a nice fish fry after a long day of fishing... But sometimes i go out fishing on my own, just to get away from everything... tomorrow will be one of those days, i haven't been out for a few weeks... i've been too busy working and dealing with other things... but on wednesday, i'm taking a friend out fishing, she's been out with me a few times... and again, each time is a competition, but it is a way of getting away from it all, relaxing, having a good time with good company, then at the end of the day... HOPEFULLY having a fish fry and beer to top it all off...

 

i wish there was one SOLID reason why i love fishing so much... but really... i can't come up with one.

[jace]

yes

[Beans]

Mental therapy...what else can you do where the only thing you got to worry about is that some stupid fish gets caught on your hook?...And if you don't put any bait on it...you don't have to worry about that either...just sit back and take in the sights that God hath wrought...

 

Sounds almost biblical...No?

[steve_paul]

[*]Relaxation - giving the body & brain a break from the stress of today, or, as some might put it, changing your karma. We blow our brains out either with the challenge of our jobs or the mind-numbing experience of the same thing day after day and we sometimes really need to have a change of scenery.

 

John, this is primarily why I fish. Nothing beats the peace and solitude of quietly fishing up north, surrounded by the beauty of nature away from the noise and commotion of the daily routine. Catching fish is another bonus that adds to the experience.

 

I will also add that I fish as there are not many better activities that I can share with my kids. I love being out in the boat with them (when they are not fighting of course), just spending time together. They both routinely outfish me but it is the time we spend doing it that means the most to me.

Edited July 15, 2008 by steve_paul

[Greencoachdog]

Fishing is what I was born to do!

[ChrisK]

More of a hunter gatherer thing for me. Runs strong in my family roots. Great uncle was a hunter/conservation officer in Austrian mountain range and most of my cousins from there are butchers...

Fishing just happens to be part of the big picture of aquiring another sorce of food.

Don't get me wrong though because I do fish for sport as well.

 

Cheers !!

[Victor]

hmm. what about addiction?

 

i'm with gone_fishing, sometimes I'm out to relax, regardless if I catch something or not, sometimes recreation, and many other reasons. It depends on when it is, where it is, who i'm going with and more.

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

For me, it's the actual hunt that get's my blood pumping...I target some of the more elusive species (Muskies and Trout) and I'm constantly thinking about catching a real trophy!!

[Fish Farmer]

Blood line, my dad took me fishin since I could walk. Now I'm 60, I look at some kids and think, man was I lucky to have a DAD.

John, Great post.

Makes me sit back and think of my Dad and the great times we had. I wish he was back.

Love

Fishing

Nature

Good friends

To catch a fish is a bonus. Not to catch, makes me want to fish more.

Sounds stupid.

Fishing to some is stupid.

I love my stupid little world I live in.

 

Were's my rod, I got to go

[BITEME]

I Fish Therefore I am!!!!!!!!!!!

[Canuck2fan]

I left fishing for a long time when they started up with the fishing tax er um licence fees because I didn't see that the money would benefit the resource and in my opinion it really hasn't gone far enough to protect and enhance our resource.

 

However, despite my problems with how the government was missing the boat on the importance of sport fishing. A bunch of the younger people from work were talking about fishing and they really just didn't have a clue. They had went fishing 5 times and caught one fish between the 4 of them. So I decided to share with them some of knowledge I had gotten from my father, grandfather and a couple of uncles who were some of the most consistent and prolific fishermen I have ever seen. I started out slowly easing back into it using equipment that was 20 yrs old getting laughed at for some pretty beat up stuff, that was until I was reeling in fish while they were standing there gawking. Then slowly they were too were catching fish after watching and finally accepting that if you see someone being successful while fishing don't reinvent the wheel, mimic as best you can what works for them.

 

Now, seeing someone use techniques that you and your family developed over 20 yrs ago still catch more fish than thing else on certain spots is extremely rewarding. Especially since my one uncle and grandfather are gone now. Sadly my other uncle has lung problems so bad he can't find the energy to go fishing anymore. Seeing those techniques passed on is a big reason I got back into fishing.

 

Taking my uncle who can no longer go and his wife a feed of fresh fish that is so appreciated is another big reason I like fishing.... Doing the same for my grandmother is even more rewarding.

 

I got lucky that first year back in the sport and met some more people who fish. They expanded my oppurtunities to fish for different species. I learnt how to steelhead from some top notch guys who never cease to amaze me with how much they are willing to give of their time to impart the tricks and tips that have worked for them, and now work for me.

 

The number of people who I have met in the last 4 yrs on the waters all over south western Ontario that I consider fishing buddies is another reason I keep going. Every stream, pier or beach has it's characters who make you laugh or make you mad but you still have the bond of being a fisherman with them. So you go sometimes just to see who of the old timers made it through another winter to be out there doing what we all enjoy so much. That is probably the last and best reason I fish the "friendships".

[JohnF]

Blood line, my dad took me fishin since I could walk. Now I'm 60, I look at some kids and think, man was I lucky to have a DAD.

John, Great post.

Makes me sit back and think of my Dad and the great times we had. I wish he was back.

Love

Fishing

Nature

Good friends

To catch a fish is a bonus. Not to catch, makes me want to fish more.

Sounds stupid.

Fishing to some is stupid.

I love my stupid little world I live in.

 

That's about as close to my answer as anyone so far. It's at best a nebulous thing to describe, at least for me.

 

I hadn't thought of the dad connection but there's definitely some of that for me. Fishing was one of the few times we shared a common interest when I was a kid. I still have great, if hazy, memories of a camp we went to somewhere around Minden/Dorset on a little lake. I'm sure dad called it Devil's Lake but I can't find it on any maps. When we were home Dad was always working trying to keep his farm equipment business afloat in a time when farmers were struggling to pay bills so our fishing trips are the best memories I have today, fifty years later.

 

Toys have always played an important part in my life. I love tinkering. I kind of chuckle when some here talk about the high cost of fishing gear. Try racing motorcycles or sleds. Try serious scuba diving. Take up golf with a passion. Fishing is a bargain when you figure out the fun/dollar ratio. And look at the almost endless variety of inexpensive toys we can play with. I realize that goes out the window when a boat drifts into the picture but there's a lot of fishing to be done without having your own boat. Hey! That's what friends are for.

 

Another one for me is just the sheer joy of being outside away from roads and buildings. I guess that's why I enjoy wading like I do. Sometimes it's just me and the creek with no manmade objects in sight except my fishing gear. Sometimes I even resent the bridges I have to go beneath for their intrusion. A car whistling over the bridge can shatter the illusion. There are moments when I'm happy to just stand still in the river and watch whatever fishies are swimming by. There are even times when , as silly as it may sound, I actually apologize to a fish for screwing up his day as I slide him back in the water. Snagging a fish, or having him really inhale a hook can really ruin my pleasure but it doesn't stop me from going back, so there must be something less obvious that attracts me to it. That's the part I'm trying to get a handle on here.

 

Other things enter into my answer - the challenge of outsmarting the fish, reading about & trying to master new fish species & fishing methodology, escape from life's pressures, and just having fun feeling like a kid again, if only for a few hours.

 

But there's still some undefined element in all this passion that fishing arouses in us. What is it?

 

JF

[Rich]

All of the above!

[bpsbassman]

Interesting to see the Dad thing mentioned so often.

My father passed away when I was two years old. I grew up surrounded by all these pictures of him on fishing trips holding up fish. When I was about 7, my brother who is 13 years older than me, started taking me fishing. I think there is some sort of draw to fishing, that when I fish I can relate to my Dad. Maybe that's one reason I love fishing with my boys and now my grandson and granddaughters. My brother, his son, and my two boys will be returning to the town of Trent River for a family fall Musky trip. Fishing the same waters as my father did over 60 years ago.

Whether fishing with family, friends or by myself, fishing takes me to a very special place where I find peace and tranquility like nowhere else.

I think that's enough self analysis for today

[Anatz]

I fish because I love being near waters. It helps me relax and clear all the stress away.

 

Another few reason are, I think fishing is a survival skill and it takes a lot of skill and practice to catch that certain species of fish you are after.

It takes skills to catch the easiest type of fish which would be the sunfish. Sometimes when fishing around other fishermen, I notice there set up is totally wrong and there will be no way they would catch a fish.

 

In addition, another reason why I fish is to out fish other fishermen around me. Sometimes you like to showoff by reeling in fish with every cast, for me, it feels great knowing that I'm better than the people around me.

 

Also, I fish to educate others. It's nice sometimes to have a stranger come up to you and ask you questions about fishing. It's really important for people to understand the positive aspects of fishing and how it affects everyone and everything in life. Nothing can compare to sharing your experience and knowledge with a young child and seeing a happy smile on their face. Kids are the future and teaching them this wonderful sport and important knowledge of fishing will keep fishing alive for future generations.

[Roy]

I was told a long time ago that whackin' golf balls off a casting deck just looks retarded. So I fish.