It's all Fishing Man!

We all started somewhere. It may have been last weekend, last year, or 40 years ago. For many of us it was fishing with our family as young children. The fact is that we all started sometime, somewhere. I'm not going to bore you with my first foray into fishing(I'll save that for when I am speechless and need to write a blog, coming too soon for most of you) but rather identify and rationalize the truth. Fishing brings happiness to all of us.

Fly rod in hand and casting at finicky fish is what I love. I also love throwing shrimp tipped jigs for snapper, sea trout, lady fish, or even trying my luck bridge fishing here in the Keys. I still have not dredged my home river with night crawlers under a bobber, with some sort of heavy diamond shaped sinker, yet, but I have been fantasizing about it for at least 10 years. Imagine the Browns that would respond to a wiggling worm in the spring! Hmmm....

The upshot of this writers point is just this...Fishing is for every body, there are many disciplines and methods, it does not have to cost a shitload of money, and I beg all of you not to discount any fisherman with a smile on his/her face.

I see hand liners here in FLA that are having a ball. It is just line around a large diameter spool, a hook, a sinker, and a small piece of something alive or smelly, your choice. I see $1 million+ boats, with 3 mates, electronic laden consoles, two quivers worth of rods, suitcases full of jigs, lures, stuffed bait wells, kites, hooks, extra spools for the reels, etc. Which party is having more fun?

I imagine a similar conversations by both parties...

Bridge Guy "Someday I will have a boat like that. Catch more fish, ladies chillin' in the salon, huge tuna for dinner, playboy lifestyles..."

Big Boat Guy "I wish my life was simpler. Hop out of your car, grab a couple cheap spinning rods, $4 in jigs and a bait bucket. No hassles, no obscenely high gas prices, no lazy mates, no high maintenance women in the salon. Just a few snapper on the grill for dinner."

So, you be the judge. Most of our fly fishing passions are derived from the generic fishing bug we acquired somewhere along the line. We all have different reasons for fishing, but there is a common thread, and that in itself is fishing.

It encourages happiness and joy. It creates an environment of learning and laughing with friends and family. It is riddled with hope, misfortune, learning, entertainment, and relaxation. It is all good. Soulful relation.

Next time you see an angler that is fishing in a manner that you may not enjoy, don't demean or belittle that individual...getting on your high horse does not make your fishing experience better, just be happy for him. He is after the same things you are, and fishing is a vehicle we both can use to attain these lofty, yet achievable goals. The smile on his face is a mirror image of the smile on your face.

Remember this old adage? I have added a couple lines too.

"Days spent fishing are not deducted from the total days we have been allotted on this earth. Fishing days are free. Fishing days are a balance between reality and fantasy. Fishing may be the lowest common denominator in life. Those who fish have more in common than most."

Writing this makes me want to do some hand lining tomorrow. I've never tried it. Using the most basic tools may improve my game. I can tell you it will not hurt. Just one more fishing technique and tool in my box is always a welcome addition. I just might.

It's all Fishing Man!