I totally get all the meditative, calm benefits of being on the water and the idea of being able to catch your own dinner. I get all that and i've even been convinced to throw out a line. I've spent an hour or so attempting to master the sea and bring in the fish.
And while I am sure I will find myself doing it again, it really is an odd thing to participate in.
Firstly, fish eat fish. You lure a fish with a fish. Or something pretending to be a fish.
That's canibalism, yes?
It's weird.
But I figure that if they're happy to eat themselves, then there's no harm in me eating them.
Secondly, people (mostly men) can participate in this sport for hours.
Actually do one thing for hours and hours.
They're just throwing string into the sea. Or the river.
And they sit there and obsess over what they're 'feeling' on the line. It requires patience and time. It's akin to some sort of gambling addiction given the fact that people willingly throw money and hours staring at something and are spurred on by the slightest of hints towards a win.
We met a guy that had 'a couple of nibbles yesterday' and then spent all of today in the hopes of 'hooked him' rather than a nibble.
All day.
I saw his sunburnt face at 5pm.
Thirdly, if I put my pessemistic hat on (just for a moment please) in just 2 minutes I can list of all the shitty things that happen 90% of the time that someone is out fishing.
The list is:
1. Line snags on rock
2. Line snaps cause you got over-zealous with your yanking on what might have been a fish
3. Bait not secured well, falls off hook
4. Fishy too clever for dumb human, eats bait and doesn't get hooked
5. Sinker not heavy enough, waves wash line ashore
6. Current too strong, other humans too close, line gets tangled with someone else
7. Get fish in, slippery little sucker gets away
8. Get fish in, is not 'good tastin' or too small and have to throw back (surely this is torture)
9. Think you've got something awesome hooked on, find out it's seaweed
10. Wind too strong and you can't feel anything with a bow in your line
That literally took me 2 minutes to list, yet, despite this list of clearly annoying things that generally mean one has to spend eleventy-seven hours re-casting and re-tying sinkers, hooks and baits to the line - people still do it.
For fun.
Fourthly, it stinks. Nuff said.
So to recap - condoned canibalism and hours spent working against a list of annoyances for FUN that leaves you with stinky clothes.
Talk me through that three times slowly.
I am not suprised about your obvious lack of understanding of the religon of fishing.
ReplyDeleteIt is not the anticipation of the catch or the relaxation it provides from being one with nature. Nor is it a way of men reuniting themselves with their primal instincts of hunting and gathering. It is much more simple than that.
Fishing is a way of getting away from the wife, and it is as simple as that.
Ray