Stumbled across this thought from Henry David Thoreau. Part of me agrees with it and part of me thinks he must not have been a very good fisherman...either way it made me think.
"Many go fishing all their lives not knowing that it is not fish they are after".
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I see that. Food for some. Bragging rights for some. Competition both in numbers and or in size. Or just the feeling of hooking something.
Anyway, very deep....LOL
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It is a good quote indeed and has been a favorite of mine for some time. However, there is some debate over the true source of the quote. The closest thing found in Thoreau's writings is this from 1853:
"It is remarkable that many men will go with eagerness to Walden Pond in the winter to fish for pickerel and yet not seem to care for the landscape. Of course it cannot be merely for the pickerel they may catch; there is some adventrue in it; but any love of nature which they may feel is certainly slight and indefinite. They call it going a-fishing, and so indeed it is, though perchance, their natures know better. Now I go a-fishing and a-hunting every day, but omit the fish and the game, which are the least important part."
As a transcendentialist, Thoreau seems to advocate enjoyment of nature for its purely intrinsic, spiritual value rather than for what man can extract from it for pleasure or hobby.
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[font "Arial, Sans-Serif"][/font]"It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming."[/font]
[font "Arial, Sans-Serif"][/font]~John Steinbeck~[/font]
I fish mostly as a escape from the working world and the everyday pressures of everyday life. It's not always the fish I'm looking for but the chance to get out and get away from it all. Most times I don't know what I'm looking for at the start but I always find it in the end! I think I'm alot better at the fishing part then the catching part but I'm always still fishing for something!!
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i would like to hear andrew dice clay on fishing.........
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"Scholars have long known that fishing eventually turns men into philosophers. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to buy decent tackle on a philosopher's salary"
Patrick McManus
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I fish for the hunt, the stalk, the anticipation.
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Find Jim Nortons rant on fishing. The one he came up with off the cuff talking to a caller is better than the one he polished for Leno although the Leno version is free of potential offensive language. It goes right in there with the Steinbeck quote. The original from O & A with Bob Kelly talking about how he started fly fishing, a caller chimed in and off he went. I was crying. Jimmy doesn't "get" fishing but his views on it are pretty funny.
Mcmannus is a story teller who did well enough to afford good tackle and become a philosopher.
Most of us are out there for the same reasons I think. Although skill plays into it for sure some have more determination than others to catch something.
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For me, Thoreau had something. It is a time to reflect, to ponder upon the magnificence of God's creation, to see the sun come up over the horizon, or to watch it set. To see the mountains reflect upon the water. To hear and feel the quiet. To be far away from the stresses of life......................................
And then there is the sharp "wham" against the fly, the jump out of the water, the yell "that's what I'm talking about!" and the exhiliration of the fight.......................
And the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, and the satisfaction of enjoying fresh fish!
Thoreau was only partly right.
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[quote eagleflyfshr]For me, Thoreau had something. It is a time to reflect, to ponder upon the magnificence of God's creation, to see the sun come up over the horizon, or to watch it set. To see the mountains reflect upon the water. To hear and feel the quiet. To be far away from the stresses of life......................................
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But,
ly with this, we get poor handling of Gods little finned friends (because they are tougher than we we think - to some). To leave those bait containers and what the heck all the other junk some don't want to take home (someone will get it..)
Oh and of course that boom box playing some Rap or some Country loud enough they can still hear it at the home front.
This is not directed at any of you, just a general observation.[cool]
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