Mike Seymour - Smart Guide To Freshwater Fishing

First Casts

In This Chapter

How fishing connects us with nature

Why fishing is a sport for you

What benefits fishing offers

In this chapter, youll learn that nature is an intrinsic part of fishing. Youll also learn that fishing is a sport for you and for everyone else. Thirdly, youll see some of the major benefits for those who head to the water in pursuit of fish.

Most North Americans live in urban areas, and as a result the majority of our population has limited contact with the natural world. We wake to the alarm clock, drive to our place of work via busy roads, work at our assigned tasks, return home on even busier roads, and likely watch television during the evening hours. Weekends may find us catching up on chores around the house, attending local athletic contests, socializing with family and friends, grocery shopping, visiting the mall, and more. Certainly, these activities are important, but what part does nature play in our lives other than when we combat it by controlling the temperature in our cars, workplaces, and homes?

My point is that societys routines and expectations have removed us from the natural world, and this is why you and I need fishing in our lives. Spending time in nature reduces stress and improves ones quality of life, and, most importantly, fishing allows us to be active participants in the great outdoors. Fishing is a natural human act that provides opportunities for our senses to come alive, opportunities to view wildlife in its natural habitat, opportunities to be one with the weather, and opportunities to experience an array of positive emotions.

Fishing allows our senses to come alive. Our eyes view the colors and movements of water, the miracle of a sunrise, the brilliance of a sunset, patterns of drifting clouds, distant shorelines, ascending mountain peaks, and more. Our noses gather the scents of fresh air, the earthy shoreline, nearby vegetation, campfires, and fresh fish. Our ears hear the bubbling brook, lapping waves, chirping songbirds, quacking mallards, calling gulls, splashing fish, and swaying treetops. Our body feels the warmth of the sun, the freshness of the wind, the moisture of the rain, and the gentleness of the earth, sand, and water at our feet. Our taste buds enjoy the delightful flavor of lunch, a meal that is always more enjoyable at waters edge. And if things go well, the angler also gets to enjoy a savory meal of fresh fish at days end.

Observing wildlife goes hand in hand with fishing. Common sightings of winged creatures who are also fishermen include terns, fish hawks, ospreys, herons, eagles, mergansers, and cormorants. Then there are gulls, geese, mallards, and more. Muskrats, mink, beavers, and otters inhabit fish-holding waters and shorelines. Chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, and white-tailed deer make their way to the waters edge, too. And if you are lucky enough to fish in such places as Yellowstone, Quebec, or Alaska, you will encounter creatures like moose, caribou, elk, black bears, brown bears, and wolves.

Real Fishing

Whenever a fishing trip is in the offing, I stay in tune with weather forecasts. For one thing, I want to make sure conditions are safe for being on the water. Also, conditions may affect my strategy for the day as well as my expectations for success. For example, strong winds might dictate that I troll rather than cast, and easterly winds indicate that fish will be less active so I might expect to catch fewer fish than when the wind blows from the southwest. Because of my keen interest in weather, my two sons tease me that the weather channel is my favorite television show.