Fishing can be a wonderful and relaxing hobby, and this piece is intended to encourage people to consider trying it by listing out comments and stories from people who enjoy fishing on why they enjoy it. To put this piece together I reached out to many fishing bloggers, as well as put the following query out:
We’re putting together a piece on the joy of fishing, intended to encourage people to go fishing for the first time. Looking to hear from people who enjoy fishing and can write about what they like about it and why you’d recommend others get into it. Personal stories welcome.
The below are the best submissions we got on this topic. And if you enjoy fishing yourself and have anything to add to these comments, please make a submission.
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I've been fishing for over 20 years, and something I always enjoy is the different strategies that each fish requires. Some fish like to hide in water holes (bass), while others require braided lines (sturgeons). Each fish requires a different rod set up, and by understanding what they like, you can give yourself a competitive edge, and pull in a real trophy piece. --Jeff Neal, The Critter Depot |
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I would like to share why I love fishing and my personal story how I started with my favorite hobby. First and most important, fishing is a great activity for your mental and physical health. It gives you the opportunity to have a fun and relaxing fishing experience and feel the nature. It allows you to stay out of the crowd, only you and your thoughts while patiently waiting for your catch. And, the feeling when you hook a fish, it's a real recharge. At the same time, I really like that fishing is an activity that could be practiced by both kids and adults. So it is an awesome family activity. And, most of the kids find it very fun and engaging. But, fishing also has many benefits for them. It teaches kids to be patient and self-confident and last but not least, keep them away from their smartphones 🙂 Here I would like to share my personal experience of how I started fishing. Before years I was working in a highly demanding role and I was working 6-7 days a week from 12 to 15 hours a day. Actually, after a few years at this pace, I found it really difficult to find a way to relax. But, I found fishing as a great way to restore my body and mind. --Simeon, Globo Outdoors PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/the-joy-of-fishing#simeon |
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I was first introduced to fishing by my father during our summers at a lake cabin. It was love at first sight and a highly valued time alone with my dad. Nowadays, fishing is a get-away and an opportunity to clear my head and relax. Some of my best business ideas were born on fishing trips. Staring at the water is perfect for focusing on thinking through problems of all kinds. At the same time, it comes with a reward - the fish you catch and prepare as a meal later. There is something very satisfying with eating dinner that you caught, as opposed to buying produce or fish at the green market or in a store. Fishing trips will also be a great opportunity to see amazing nature sites that would otherwise be out of your radar. I recommend fishing to people who have stressful jobs with lots of responsibility. In a high-paced daily dynamics, sometimes there isn’t enough time to reflect on processes or events that are important for the business. Fishing time is a fantastic occasion to relax, ponder, and get brilliant ideas. --Aleksandar, moderngentlemen.net PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/the-joy-of-fishing#aleksandar |
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I’ve fished everywhere from the backwater to the blue water. Nothing in my life brings me as much focus and peaceful anticipation as holding a cane pole and watching a red cork float on the dark water of a Florida river. To me, it’s both recreation and reconnection with some of my earliest memories as well as the people in them. If you could bottle that feeling, it would be the only medicine I’d ever need. --Jim, Tupelo Media |
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Fishing is awesome. It's one of the only ways to enjoy the outdoors in pretty much any setting. You don't need beautiful views, just a body of water and a fishing rod and that is it. Birds and various wildlife will just appear as you stand there quietly waiting for that addictive tug on the end of your line. My favourite part of fishing is that you are forced to live in the moment and you get to disconnect from life for a short period of time. People will never understand why fishing is so addictive, even if you catch zip. Those people don't fish and that is why. It's one of the very few things left in world where, even if you don't achieve a thing all day, you are still satisfied. You can be a terrible fisherman and, somehow it doesn't matter. --Shaun Taylor, Moriti Safaris |
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I got into fishing when I offered to accompany my Dad on a wilderness fishing trip. I wanted to see the wilderness, but the one condition I had was, 'you can't make me fish.' Visions of worms and simy fish were not nearly as appealing as seeing the Northern Lights for the first time. It was cold and rained for most of the trip and I still contend that it was the best vacation of my life. It was where I learned that fishing is not about the fish. I fish because the scenery is gorgeous and I can stand in the water, right in the middle of it. I fish to slow down because things rarely happen fast on the river. I fish because it reminds me to take my time...you can't rush tying a fly on. I fish for the peace and tranquility and for the incredible friends I've made in my women's fly fishing group. I fish because when I step in the water, the stress melts away. And while I would still fish if I never caught anything, sometimes I get lucky and I fish because catching a big trout is so darned much fun. --Jennifer Eggers, LeaderShift Insights PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/the-joy-of-fishing#jennifer |
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I started fishing two years ago and it's the only hobby that I've been this deep into. It's the perfect combination of skill, outdoors and relaxation. Not only do you get to go outside and enjoy nature, you can hang out with your friends and enjoy a cold beer at the same time. What's not to love? For many of my buddies, it's simply a way to spice up hanging out and drinking, but the deeper you get into the sport the more fun it is. For the vast majority of lakes and rivers, catching a fish is very difficult. Days can go by without a bite, especially in areas where fish populations are low. Which means that you need patience and a high degree of skill. But what makes fishing so great is the struggle, because it makes the endorphin rush more intense when you finally reel in the trout that you've been chasing all weekend. --Jack Prenter, Adore Passion |
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Some people like to call fishing a sport or an outdoor activity, but to me personally it's more of an art form. It evolves over the years with experience and yet there are always surprises during the process. As with any art form, for me fishing has always been meditational in a way, allowing me to escape the troubles of the city to be surrounded with water, concentrated on one objective. The whole experience of fishing, from setting up camp to the first catch of the day is therapeutic to me, giving me much needed tranquility in the company of the natural environment. Even though fishing allows me to disconnect from my daily routine, it still tests my concentration and quick thinking, even after all these years. Unexpected situations can happen, and fishing has never lost its excitement since my childhood days. There is an indescribable feeling of joy that happens every time you feel the line pulling, knowing it's showtime. Sometimes it's a slight tug and other times it can be a strong pull that can tip you over if you're caught off-guard. The ensuing adrenaline rush as you reel in your catch is something that is impossible to describe, accompanied by the joyful satisfaction of success. For this reason, I would recommend that everyone try fishing at least once in their lives. Fishing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and has been part of my lifestyle for a very long time. I started my website so that I could document my experience and provide information for fishers of all skill levels, from newbies to veteran fishermen. --Bob Hoffmann, Bonfire Bob |
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It is a mystery to me how I can love fishing so much, while other people detest the idea. What I hear most non-fishing enthusiast say is: You really need patience to fish, and I don't have that kind of patience. My rebuttal to that is: isn't it said that patience is a virtue?...then you should like fishing because its virtuous! In my opinion, fishing is like golf in the sense that when you hit one golf ball just right...your hooked. (no pun intended..well maybe). I will even go so far as to say that there is a high probability that the percentage of people who don't like to fish is close or equal to the percentage of people who don't like to golf. I do hereby challenge any person to go and take a golf class from a professional instructor for one day. If you hit one golf ball just right, and don't walk away having fun, I will buy you a golf ball. I make the same wager to any person who hooks on to a 23 inch red drum for the first time. (I will buy you a hook if you don't have fun) I guess in order to explain why I am so confident to make such a wager, I would have to explain the sheer delight of feeling the sudden explosive strike from a creature such as a 10 pound bass, so I will give it my best shot. Close your eyes...now imagine yourself on a serene body of water with a fishing pole that you have cast a live shrimp into the depths 20 yards ahead of you into a small pocket of sand and brush. Now wait. Nothing to do? Listen for the birds in the distance..hear them? Can you feel the current of the knee deep water gently massaging your soar workaholic knee's? Do you hear the laughter of excitement from a child in the distance as they land their first fish? Picture the placid body of water with the sun seemingly 100 yards away. See it? Reach for it. Almost got it? Boom! Splash! Lunk! You've got a bite! Out of nowhere comes a disturbing jolt of frightening energy at the end of your line! What do you do? Set the hook...set the hook! (that means pull the rod away from the fish with a tight line so the the hook sets in the fishes mouth...which don't have cells by the way so there is no pain). For those of you who have never caught a fish, the energy and adrenaline rush starts in your heart and never leaves until you successfully landed that fish in a net or a bucket. But you have to fight the beast first. The best fight is a fight that you think is almost over because you have retrieved so much line back into the reel that the fighting fish is close enough to reach with a net, but the fish has other ideas and pulls your line taught and away from your reel back out into the depths. Now you have respect for the giant fish! This is a new type of tennis match for you. Back and forth, back and forth sometimes. Depending on how far out in the water you are, you could have a 45 hour battle with one creature. The best part is, if you dont give up, and if you paid attention to your knots and equipment...you bring that fish in and can look it in the eye. Now all you have to do is decide if you are going to catch and release...or salt, pepper and eat. Happy fishin! --Paul Flanagan, Land Cravings |
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As someone who spends as much time as he can outdoors, I'm always looking for ways to engage with my environment rather than just spectate on it. And nothing allows you to truly engage with the environment like fishing. I'll always remember the first fish I ever caught because that particular feeling of engagement and connection with the natural world is unique only to fishing. I hooked into what was probably a 7 or 8 inch rainbow trout, but it felt to 7 year old me like a monster, and my feeling of accomplishment when we cooked it up for dinner was something that will stick with me forever. There is nothing like the primal satisfaction of having pursued something wild, succeeded, and been able to provide food for yourself and those around you as a result. To this day that intense feeling of satisfaction still creates some of my favorite moments, and I encourage anyone and everyone to get into it because I feel that that wild connection is something we're missing in our busy, modern lives. And even if you don't keep every fish for dinner, the pursuit alone is worthwhile, and the feeling of being truly engaged with the wild world keeps me and every other fisherman/woman I know coming back for more. --Brady Fraser, Two Trailbirds |
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For me personally, there are many things I love about it. I’m very passionate about saltwater fishing. My favorite thing about this is just taking a day off, hopping on a boat and getting out there on the water, enjoying the sun and the sea. I like shorter trips where I can relax and enjoy, but also catch something. The best thing about fishing is, of course, catching the fish. Once something takes your bait, it’s very exciting to reel the fish in and try to guess what it is! My city life tends to get very busy from time to time, so it feels really good to take my mind off from it, and for me, fishing is the best way to do it. --Aleksandra Jovicic, FishingBooker PERMALINK: https://outwittrade.com/the-joy-of-fishing#aleksandra |