It Started With Fishing
Have you ever sat down and tried to think about why you’re outdoorsmen? Why are you an outdoor enthusiast? What turned you on to ever wanting to step foot in the wild? Is there a specific place? I don’t remember mine, but I do know what it was I loved most—and arguably still do—fishing.
“Don’t bring back another snake, Michael Goss!” That is what she would scream as my best friend and I took off into the unknown, heading for the creek. His mother found many surprises in the playroom above his garage—one of which was a 5-foot black rat snake I brought back from a fishing trip. Before sunrise, we’d be knee-deep in running water scouting our next honey hole. Catfish, smallmouth, bluegill, crayfish, snakes, frogs…you name it, we caught it.
Our addiction those summers grew strong enough to lead us into volunteering at wildlife conservation centers just to be able to fish during lunch. Before we knew it, we had matching tackle boxes, four rods in hand, and thirst for learning on how to become professionals. Too far? Not quite. We used to call one another up on Tuesday nights and discuss the latest fishing shows episode and devise our plan of newly learned tactics for the coming weekend.
I cannot begin to count how many trips we made to that creek or fathom how many summer hours we spent catching fish there, but I can tell you those memories are the ones that brought my love for the outdoors to a different level.
What IS it about fishing? To be completely honest, I am still on a mission to figuring that out. Sure landing fish is fun, especially the big ones! But the work…the time…the money…anyone who does it as much as I can tell you it is exhausting at times. So why? I think Harry Middleton was onto something when he said “fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it.” There are countless times in my life that a fishing trip has turned into nothing but a reality check. Anytime we have a slow bite or get skunked one the water—and those are often—they turn into time for meditation, reflection, and learning.
You are a witness to God’s creation when you’re on the water and that’s a sight most people rarely take in when confined to the everyday dance we call life. I sometimes forget that when I am fishing; more times I forget that when I am not. Beyond the joy of catching big bass, and the frustration of losing an even bigger one, you find yourself again. That goes for anything outdoors, but for me, it all started with fishing.