Doc's Perspective on Contemplation

I wonder what old Izzak Walton would say if he saw the likes of some of today's fishermen and their gear - High speed bass boats to get them to the hole on time, Color-C-Lectors to help them decide what color bait to use, fish finders to show them just how deep to fish, and Miya Epoch electric reels with variable jigging speed settings that hook the fish, and then crank them in - these are just a few of the innovations that have come to the genteel sport of fishingg with an angle in recent years. I, for one, feel that something has been lost.

Fishing is, and always should remain, a contemplative man's sport. It does, and always will, require a certain degree of patience. It seems to me that some of the recent innovations serve not to enhance the fisherman's experience or make it more enjoyable, rather to reduce it to a common denominator of simply catching fish.

Hey, if that's what this is all about, I've learned a few tricks over the years that would make ol' Izzak turn over in his grave. Electroshocking works stunningly well in waters that aren't too salty. Rotenone works even better than that. And with either of these techniques, the "sportsman" doesn't even have to carry a fishing pole.

Don't get me wrong. Fish constitute the principal objective of most fishermen alright; but to some, its the process of fishing that really counts. And if the process is carried out skillfully, then the fish are the results of a skill well-learned. Far too many fishermen believe that they have mastered the art of the angle; and, in pursuing the sport with this misconception, they deprive themselves of everything that the sport has to offer with the exception of that singular payoff - the fish. All of us have encountered this type of fisherman at one time or another. He's that fellow who, if the fish aren't biting, contends that "the fish must not be here today". The inference here is that if the fish were here, he'd be catching them. How arrogant can you get?

On such days, it may be sufficient for some fishermen to just coax a fish into striking the bait. At least then, you will know that the fish are indeed there. Yes, fishing is a contemplative sport - are the fish here? Will they be feeding? What will they be most likely to strike? Do I need to retrieve more slowly? There's lots of contemplation involved here; and once a fish has been hooked, there's only one question that really matters - what did I do right? If you can answer that one, you'll be on your way to way to a successful fishing trip, no matter how you look at it. . .