What makes fishing as a hobby so appealing that people will fish all hours of the day and in nasty weather?
I saw some people fishing the other day in 16 degree Fahrenheit (-9 Celsius) weather at 4:30AM. They were not ice fishing with a little hut, but standing at the base of a bridge with no shelter or campfire. People are at that bridge fishing regularly when it is cold but that was the coldest temp I have seen so far. Why is it so appealing to them?
It’s a good excuse to be outside either alone with friends, get a little fresh air and sunshine, enjoy nature, etc. it often doesn’t involve the same sort of investment or level of physical fitness that, say, hiking does. It can be damn close to doing nothing, but it’s enough of a thing that you don’t feel guilty for doing nothing all day. The initial cost investment can be pretty low, you can probably get out and go fishing with less than $50 worth of gear from Walmart, and ongoing expenses are pretty low too, a couple buck every trip or could trips for bait, and a couple more bucks here or there for some extra bits of tackle.
You can put as much or as little time, money, or effort into it as you want. A $20 Walmart rod catches fish just fine, or you can spend hundreds or probably even thousands of dollars on a rod that also catches fish just fine. You can go out once or twice a year when the weather is nice, or you can be out damn near every day, rain or shine. You can learn a lot of different techniques, use different baits, lures, rigs, etc. to catch more/bigger/different kinds of fish, or you can have a worm on a hook at the end of your line that you just throw out in the water and let whatever’s gonna bite bite. There’s skills to learn if you want to, or you can coast by on just luck, sometimes the fish just aren’t biting, sometimes they’ll bite anything you put in front of them.
And because of that, fishing is kind of a great equalizer, you will meet all kinds of people out on the water or in the fishing aisle at Walmart, people of all races and classes fish.The techniques, targeted species, equipment, locations, etc. may all vary, but at the end of the day we’re all out there trying to outsmart fish and coming up empty-handed as often as not. If you meet someone else who is a fisherman, you’ve got common ground and something to talk about even if you have nothing else in common. We all love to talk fishing, trade fish stories, share our tips and tricks, ask people we see fishing as we walk by how they’re biting, etc.
There’s also a meditative aspect to it for sure, repetitive motions, silence, solitude, nature, a certain amount of mindfulness, etc.
Fish are cool, and catching them is a good way to get an up-close look at them.
There’s a lot to be said about being connected to where your food comes from, the environmental impact of commercial fishing, the health benefits of eating fish, the cost of buying or catching fish, etc. that frankly could probably be the topic of several whole books, and I’m not going to go into all of that, and just kind of leave it at fish are food, and catching fish yourself is one way to get food, and it comes with its benefits and drawbacks.
As for the weather, I’m a strong believer that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate gear. With enough of the right kind of layers, you can be perfectly comfortable. Sometimes it’s nice to be out experiencing that, it’s a side of the world you may not often see or take the time to appreciate. For some fish, that weather may be ideal for catching them. Some people can’t or won’t brave the elements, so the places you go may be less crowded, which is nice if you’re seeking solitude.
You have absolute peace and quiet. There are no chores to do, no one demanding your time. Just you and the nature. And maybe a fishing buddy, could be a lifelong friend, could be a brand new friend, could be like your an-in-law, or a child for some bonding time.
Eg. so called 'motorcycle emptiness' is very similar to zen meditation. You're entirely focussed on the here and now. Same thing for driving (fast), gardening, golf, sports, etc.
It can be an escape. I used to “fish “ even after becoming a vegetarian. I never used a hook, but would put bait on my line and feed the fish. It took me back to something I enjoyed doing with my father. He in turn did it because of his father, who did it because his family was dirt poor it was how he fed the family (my father used to feed us this way too when I was wee).
I am under if I would fake fish in harsh conditions, but I also love the cold… so you might find me under a bridge one day casting a line.
I dunno. Yet I've gone deep sea fishing in Oregon, getting up at 4:00 am to go out in dark foggy weather and spending all day heaving and ho-ing (!) on the high seas. And getting up before dawn to go "clamming," i.e, breaking all your fingernails digging through rock and sand in wet cold water.
And crabbing also, which I prefer because at least you get to sit in a boat and cruise around most of the time, waiting to pull up the traps. I enjoyed it all, but I was a lot younger then. I just like being out on the water - it's not so much the fishing, although I had a grand time deep sea fishing.
Would get away to fish for two weeks. No cell phones, no technology, just living (camping) in nature. Enjoy the beauty of the lake and the challenge of catching a fish. Isn't always easy and you probably throw back more than you keep. Sit on the boat with your buddies, drink beer, BS about anything, and every now and then reel in what feels like Mobey Dick at the end of your line but turns out to be a stick.
This is why many places increasingly require barbless hooks which cause extremely little damage to the fish. Also why modern fishing nets are made of materials which don't harm the scales.
This varies wildly depending on what species and how it was caught. Fish with really thin lips like largemouth are generally perfectly fine after being released.
I can’t find any sources to back up that claim, do you? The highest estimate I found was from Wikipedia
A metastudy in 2005 found that the average catch and release mortality rate was 18%, but varied greatly by species.[17] During an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation study, up to 43 percent of fish released after being caught died within six days as a result of inadequate holding and weigh in procedures during tournaments.[18] More recent studies reported in Montana estimate that approximately 20% of released trout die from injuries or stress and for those that do not die, their injuries may significantly reduce their ability to feed and grow.[19]
Haha, agreed. I used to love “going fishing” with my grandparents until I actually caught a fish, then I just felt terrible. I used to have nightmares where there would be fish hooks in my food.
Now “going fishing” to me just means hanging out by the water and being peacefully bored while other people enjoy the things they enjoy.
I don’t like the idea of fishing if im not gonna eat the fish, even catch and release, like what’s the point of traumatizing and skewering a fishs mouth just to throw it back. It registers like hunting to me, im not gonna do it if im not gonna eat it.
I haven’t gone fishing in a long time but from my experience it’s really peaceful. As another commenter said, kind of like meditation. Also, catching the fish feels really rewarding.
Most people just love the thrill and some crank it to 11. Once we went fishing with my grandfather and his friends, in a regular small boat. With us was a guy they had met there last year, who had bought a pretty expensive boat just for fishing, not to talk about all the other equipment he had.
They’re much stronger than you think and even a 9-pound catfish really tests your endurance and strength, moreso with every extra pound.
You also have to be sure your line doesn’t snap or the fish doesn’t unhook, whether you should be reeling or letting it run, tons of variables.
And there’s so many types of fish and they all act differently, have different diets and preferences, every bait and fly works amazing on one fish and is terrible for others.
For me, the battle with the fish is probably the most fun, and if you win, you get to eat hotpot or roast fish or whatever.
I was fly fishing once and came across a school of some tiny little fish that hit basically anything I threw at them, and then fought like they were a big largemouth, especially with a fly rod. I stayed there catching and fighting them for a good hour before they got tired and swam off.
I think they were having fun, too because none of them swallowed the hook, just nice and clean through the lip.
I do not understand relationships like this. My father would leave for hunting for 3-6 weeks at a time to get away from my mother, but would not divorce her. It made my childhood miserable.
My mother finally moved out of the house 3 years ago. They are still married, and still see one another… and they get along better than they ever have. I wish they had done this when I was a child, my childhood would have been so much better.
If it was bad enough you think they should have been divorced, there was likely more going on there. But I kinda think in general a lot of these boomer humor wife-bad jokes come from the usual anxiety one can feel with people they live with. I often have similar feelings about my roommate, particularly when he hasn’t gone to the office for work in a while.
We lived in the boonies, my mother is from NYC… she hated it, my dad is from the sticks of PA and loved it. My mother also had an abuse father and older brother, which is how she disciplined her children, more abuse.
True, but not always true. Sometimes it’s the boss at work, or the bills on the desk, or the son you used to take fishing before he moved away for college.
Get out of the house, get away from the SO, enjoy the outdoors, the thrill of catching a big fish that fights like hell, acquiring food for practically nothing, socially acceptable pretext for casual morning alcoholism, light rain is good for fishing, cloudy weather is good for fishing, some people like to start the day off slow and relaxing and that can be hard to do in some households.
I don’t even fish, but I know people who do and it makes some sense to me.
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