Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after
~ Henry David Thoreau
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT FISHING?
My wife does not understand why I like to fish, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that predicament! I have tried to get her to come to the lake with me, or make a family trip out of it and while she may sometimes humor me and tag along she really doesn’t have any interest in participating. I don’t think it is uncommon to run across someone who just doesn’t understand what the big deal about fishing is.
Have you ever tried to really explain it using more words than, “you should try it”?
FISHING CAN BE WHATEVER YOU NEED IT TO BE!
I have a stressful day job and two young kinds that occupy a large percentage of my Other-Than-Fishing [OTF] time.
Maybe once a week I get a chance to grab my kayak, chosen rods and camera and head out to the water to get some fishing in. Siting in my kayak drifting with the current, feeling the wind gently pushing on my back and listening to the waves lapping at the sides of my kayak, I can actually feel myself relieving tension.
If what I need that day is some stress relief I grab a smaller kayak, bring minimal gear and head to a nearby freshwater lake and take my time quietly searching some submerged trees and laydowns with a jig and trailer hoping to find a large mouth hidden inside.
If what I need is some adventure, I can grab my Ocean Kayak Trident 15 and paddle out past the jetty into the Atlantic chop and fight wind, waves, tides and boat wakes from less than 2 feet above the surface of the water for an opportunity to get my jig in front of a school of Spanish Mackerel! Or I can load up with a bait rod and some heavy rods and troll the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings for shark or other big game.
If what I need is some quality time with friends, I can organize a couple of like-minded coworkers and head out into whatever waters suit our desires and spend an evening trash talking each other in friendly competition knowing full well if push came to shove they would have my back if I ever truly needed them.
And if what I truly need is some quality time spent with my children in the quiet of the outdoors, I can grab my tandem kayak and take them on an adventure that some kids sadly only watch in the movies. I can have a heartfelt conversation with my son and let him know I’ll always make time for him by showing rather than telling him. I can help my daughter catch her first fish and share in her excitement of catching fish like her big brother.
And I can give my children memories, both individually and as a family, of their father they can think back on decades from now when they begin to understand exactly why I started taking them fishing in the first place.
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