Fishtails

Great stuff . I have pondered this question often, Why do I fish? I think about this possibly because nobody In my Inner circle fishes, and certainly no one I know (minus people I have met on LOU) fish to the extreme that I do. I have often wondered why? Why has fishing always been such a mad passion of mine, often taking precedent over everything else. Catching fish has never been the main obsession of mine, but rather the mere act of fishing. Being a very competitive and passionate individual, catching just happens, but I have had many rewarding days on the water without any fish to show for It. Why do I enjoy It so much? My father enjoyed fishing, but we only fished together on rare occasion. In fact, when I lived In Florida as I child we lived on a lake and my dad and I had separate areas that we fished. I don't recall ever fishing there "side by side", but rather we fished opposite ends of the lake. I also don't recall him ever letting me pull In a fish that he hooked, like most of us do with our children. I remember going to Canada with him and my grandfather and never landing a fish the entire week. If I wanted to land a fish, It was up to me to hook one and that's just the way It was. He ALWAYS supported my habit though! In Florida as a kid, I used to catch bass and keep them In the bathtub till my dad got home so he could clean them. We were poor and ate fish A lot!! When we moved to Pa he would drive me to a lake any time I wanted to fish, drop me off, and pick me up at dark. He always had time to take me to the lake, but I wish he would have spent more time with me at the lake. Mom and Dad are long passed. Now I have a son, and I take Justin every chance I get. He's 9 and has caught more species of fish than most adults. Who knows If he will grow up with the passion I have with the sport, but he certainly has had plenty of exposure to It. Fishing has just been a part of my life from the time I could walk. In Florida as a kid, I used a cane pole and dough balls to catch shiners, which In turn I would use to catch bass (usually bigger than dad's). Maybe that exposure to It at such a young age really ingrained It In my soul. My first grade report card says "Rodney spends most of his time daydreaming and not enough time paying attention In class". Uh....yeah, I was thinking about going fishing Now, I'm 44 and nothing has changed. I still daydream about going fishing. An older and wiser friend of mine says that we are "tamed" predators and It's simply instinctive for us to fish and hunt. Some of us are more effected by this primal urge than others, but to simplify it, we really are true carnivores and It's only natural for men to not only catch our food, but to find extreme fulfillment In the hunt as well. The older I get the more I believe In that. How else do I explain my passion since childhood? I attach all types of "modern day reasonings" to why I go fishing, and from day to day they are accurate but they don't explain why I fish In the first place and why It has been a 44 year obsession. So...6 more weeks and this preditor and his offspring will be cruising the Florida Keys on our annual winter trip and no doubt half of It or more will be on the water fishing!!