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Go Fishing

theweek.com

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Re: Go Fishing

#61

Post by toomanybeersies »

hoorayimhelping wrote: post #22

I grew up fishing, skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, playing baseball, playing in bands and generally getting into trouble as a younger man. I still surf and skate and wakeboard from time to time and I'm generally amazed at how friendly, welcoming and uncompetitive anglers are. I very rarely encounter any "get off my wave" type attitudes, it's mostly people asking how it's going or telling me what bait is and isn…

I've found the same thing with hunting, at least in New Zealand.

Hunting is a bit different in NZ to the USA, you tend to walk the whole day, stopping at points to look with your binoculars, rather than sitting in a tree all day waiting for animals to walk by.

Every hunter I've met when out has been happy to give tips on where they've seen animals or sign, and to give tips or suggestions on where to go.

Of course, everyone has their "spot X" that they won't give up, but apart from that they're happy to share their knowledge and stories, especially when out in the field.

Re: Go Fishing

#62

Post by jhoh »

I really love fishing. It has become something like a tradition for the guy-part of my family to go on a fishing trip every year and spend some weekends at a nearby river.

Fishing taught me many valuable lessons in my childhood and youth. I remember countless hours of fixing my rod after casting into a tree, days without even having something nibbeling when all you want is finally catching a fish and of course loosing a fish right before you get it out of the water (some of these memories are still painful today). But all that didn't matter when you finally caught that huge beast.

Early on I learned the value of patience and delayed satisfaction, how to manage anger and defeats, and using trial and error to solve problems (not catching enough fish). It also gave me a perspective on what it really means to eat animals. When you kill and evicerate your first catch, meat stops being something you just buy at the super market.

Re: Go Fishing

#63

Post by buttercakes »

Funny. Just saw this omw to bed before I totally blow off work tomorrow to take a newbie floating down a PNW river in my driftboat in search of his first steelhead.

Re: Go Fishing

#64

Post by girvo »

Trundle wrote: post #38
hoorayimhelping wrote: post #22

I grew up fishing, skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, playing baseball, playing in bands and generally getting into trouble as a younger man. I still surf and skate and wakeboard from time to time and I'm generally amazed at how friendly, welcoming and uncompetitive anglers are. I very rarely encounter any "get off my wave" type attitudes, it's mostly people asking how it's going or telling me what bait is and isn…

Lure fishing "cast and retrieve" as opposed to waiting is very common and not at all just a bass thing fyi. Maybe it has something to do with the particular species here in mid east coast Australia but fishing stores have tons of space dedicated to lures. I remember fishing as a kid, my dad would be bait fishing while I lure fished because bait was super boring.

Same in NZ. Cast and wait is what we did as 5 year olds, but once we were older we had lures and better rods and reels and it was a lot more fun. Also caught more interesting fish!

Re: Go Fishing

#65

Post by jeromenerf »

colordrops wrote: post #49

I spent a lot of time fishing as a child, as my father was an avid fisherman. Some of my best memories are of stream and lake fishing in the Sierras, tuna fishing off boats in Cabo, and bass fishing of the coast near Del Mar. And yet I can't get myself to do it as an adult, even though I have two young children who I know would love it. It's with very mixed emotion that I decide not to go. My social circle finds fish…

I agree. Fish for food. Release or kill promptly the fish you catch. Beheading is simple, straight and mammals loves the fat of fish brains.

If your kids don’t enjoy eating grilled trout, try raising chickens for eggs :)

Re: Go Fishing

#66

Post by PaulRobinson »

Angling is the most popular sport in the UK based on participation numbers. It is televised at least once a year as a legit sport.

However, The Compleat Angler is a different kind of fishing, and what the author of the linked piece is alluding to is a little harder to come by these days.

I live I have never seen somebody fishing down there. What's more, it's way too busy to be able to catch fish or enjoy the solitary lifestyle an angler might be hoping for.

I'd love to know why anglers avoid it. I'd love to know where they go instead. As a man about to turn 40, perhaps I would like to learn to fish myself, and spend the odd weekend or even mid-week day (yay for flexible working), sat next to the water, quietly awaiting a fish.

Re: Go Fishing

#67

Post by lambdaphagy »

everdev wrote: post #53
colordrops wrote: post #49

I spent a lot of time fishing as a child, as my father was an avid fisherman. Some of my best memories are of stream and lake fishing in the Sierras, tuna fishing off boats in Cabo, and bass fishing of the coast near Del Mar. And yet I can't get myself to do it as an adult, even though I have two young children who I know would love it. It's with very mixed emotion that I decide not to go. My social circle finds fish…

I grew up fishing as well with the same wonderful memories, but can't enjoy it with my kids for the same reasons you mentioned. There is something beautiful about the slow, patience of fishing that feels refreshing. I just can't imagine someone stabbing a metal hook through my cheek and dragging me out of my home. But I'd love to find an activity that feels similar to fishing without enforcing my dominance over a wil…

The cognitive modules that govern dominance and hunting are completely different things, in us as in all hunting species. We don't actually treat prey as we treat conspecifics we wish to dominate. Neither do cats or mantis shrimp.

Re: Go Fishing

#68

Post by leoreeves »

hashkb wrote: post #21

> One thing that keeps many people from fishing is the simple fact that they have never done it. Indeed, I think it is probably the only reason, apart from vegetarianism. (If you do not eat meat or otherwise object to taking the lives of gill-bearing aquatic craniates, there is always catch-and-release.) Fishing is one of the cruelest things I can imagine doing to an animal. The closest way I can put it to a human is…

Agreed, also: >Fish caught on bait typically suffer a much higher mortality rate. About one third (33%) of fish caught on bait will die after being released and over 60% of deep hooked fish die. In general if the fish is bleeding it will not survive.

And: >Researchers from Queen's University, in Belfast, have proven that when fish are subjected to pain stimuli, the signals by no means simply ebb away in the spinal cord. Scientists have discovered sensitive skin areas directly behind the gill covers of goldfish and trout. Using implanted electrodes, they have been able to show that the nerve cells located there send signals directly to the fish's brain. When researchers poked the animals with needles, a flurry of neuron messages were transmitted to the endbrain -- the very region of the brain where pain signals are also processed by birds and mammals.

Your entertainment, should not come at the expense of another sentient being's suffering.

Re: Go Fishing

#69

Post by leoreeves »

nurettin wrote: post #56
hashkb wrote: post #21

> One thing that keeps many people from fishing is the simple fact that they have never done it. Indeed, I think it is probably the only reason, apart from vegetarianism. (If you do not eat meat or otherwise object to taking the lives of gill-bearing aquatic craniates, there is always catch-and-release.) Fishing is one of the cruelest things I can imagine doing to an animal. The closest way I can put it to a human is…

Is it ok if other animals do it?

Other animals kill and murder their young, we shouldn't be looking to them for moral guidance.

Re: Go Fishing

#70

Post by bambax »

> One thing that keeps many people from fishing is the simple fact that they have never done it. Indeed, I think it is probably the only reason

I have tried fishing a few times, and found that it isn't for me. I'm extremely bad at it. The whole setup is very clumsy and difficult to transport by anything but a car, and it's all quite boring. If the point is sitting on a chair in nature while reading or having a beer then fine, but fishing doesn't look like a useful addition to that kind of setup.

Also I don't enjoy the idea of hurting wildlife (I'm not a vegetarian but kind of wish I would be).

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