11-18-2008, 03:44 PM
[quote TubeDude]
[#0000ff]I surprised myself at how calm and collected I had been through it all. In my younger (and more exciteable) years, I probably would have freaked out. But, these days I simply savor every experience and accept the outcome. I truly enjoy every fish I catch, but if I lose a big one it is seldom more than just a minor disappointment...part of the game we must play to call ourselves fishermen.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]All that being said, that fish added a couple of megabytes to my memory database. I shall never lose the image of it twisting in the air, higher than my head, less than a rod length away. If I were an imaginative person (who...me?), I could almost imagine its
eyes fixing upon mine and the fish asking..."Well, how many points do I get for that jump?" [/#0000ff][/quote]
Interesting how our perspectives change. The younger fisherman just wanting to get the fish in and enjoy the bragging rights. To him or her its all in the capture of the prize. The "seasoned" fisherman realizing that there is much more to the game than a dead fish hanging on the stringer. Each is valid in its own way and that's one reason why fishing never loses its attraction. There is always something to take away from the experience that is new and exciting. Over the years the memories form a deep treasure chest that leaves a feeling of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment... pleasure, if you please.
z~
[signature]
[#0000ff]I surprised myself at how calm and collected I had been through it all. In my younger (and more exciteable) years, I probably would have freaked out. But, these days I simply savor every experience and accept the outcome. I truly enjoy every fish I catch, but if I lose a big one it is seldom more than just a minor disappointment...part of the game we must play to call ourselves fishermen.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]All that being said, that fish added a couple of megabytes to my memory database. I shall never lose the image of it twisting in the air, higher than my head, less than a rod length away. If I were an imaginative person (who...me?), I could almost imagine its
eyes fixing upon mine and the fish asking..."Well, how many points do I get for that jump?" [/#0000ff][/quote] Interesting how our perspectives change. The younger fisherman just wanting to get the fish in and enjoy the bragging rights. To him or her its all in the capture of the prize. The "seasoned" fisherman realizing that there is much more to the game than a dead fish hanging on the stringer. Each is valid in its own way and that's one reason why fishing never loses its attraction. There is always something to take away from the experience that is new and exciting. Over the years the memories form a deep treasure chest that leaves a feeling of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment... pleasure, if you please.
z~
[signature]