Why Do I Fish?

When they go fishing, it is not really fish they are after.

~Henry David Thoreau

Why do I fish? Some people fish for the competition, the thrill of the hunt.  Some people I know are not happy unless they are catching fish.  While I prefer to catch fish, if I don't I'm usually not disappointed. So why do I fish.

• To be close to my children
  I fish often with my son and daughter.  We laugh, we have fun, I teach them skills, we spend time together outside. I get to see their little victories and the little failures. I see them grow as people, in their confidence and there abilities. My daughter who used to be afraid to touch a worm will now jump off a dock and unhook a good sized catfish with pliers now. My son can now do everything that I can do fishing, I have seen him pass those skills and knowledge on to random kids that are fishing by us. From year to year I watch my children grow.


• To be close to my father
  When I was a kid I used to fish with my dad. We would get up early Saturday or Sunday mornings and go to a local pond, river or creek.  I never did catch anything too big, but I remember what I did catch. Like most kids I was back then all about the fish. I didn't appreciate at the time my dad getting up early on his days off, the company we had together or the lessons he taught me. I stopped fishing with him by the time I became a teenager and didn't pick it back up until my 30's, but I still remember the places, the sounds and the fish. My dad has moved on to different hobbies, but I have been back out with him a couple of times. I still fish with one of his old rods.
• To be by myself
  Sometimes you just need some time alone. Fishing can be a wonderful solitary experience.  I like to sit riverside after dark with some catfish bait. I listen to the city, or the outdoors depending on where I am. Once in a while I'll drift off in my chair waiting for a fish that may or may not come. Other times I'll close my eyes and try and sense everything around me.  Just being alone with my thoughts, relaxing, doing something I love is very therapeutic. I joke with my wife and say women have emotions, men have hobbies.
• For peace in my life
  I find fishing very relaxing, until you hook into a 15 pound carp. (Which is big for my area) It allows me to recharge. I disconnect temporarily from my responsibilities. Fishing allows me to be a better person.
• To be outside
  I like the outdoors. I am involved in Scouting, we hike, we camp, we occasionally fish. I camp with my family as well. I like being outside. I like the smells, the sounds, the unexpected finds. The outdoors feel like untapped opportunity. Fishing is an outdoor sport it and gives me another excuse to be outside, weather in the city or the woods.
  
• To acquire a skill
  Fishing is a series of skills. In my work life I look at data, analyze it, find patterns and develop systems to produce the best results for the lease amount of work. Fishing can be a lot like that. On a hot summer afternoon you feel the heat, see the sun and observe the river, you analyze the temperature and water levels, you know from previous experience that fish prefer cooler water during the day so you look for deeper water with shade.  After enough time, it becomes second nature to look over a body of water and start making guesses about the best spots to start fishing. I've learned a few different knots fishing. I've learned how to cast a lure and now I have enough practice to make that lure go where I want it to go. (most of the time) Skill acquisition can be fun and fishing has afforded me the opportunity to get new skills.

Why do I fish? There are a lot of reasons and most of them don't include the fish.