Why I Like Fishing

It happens, that I struggle with being surrounded by civilization occasionally. I begin to feel a bit claustrophobic, and there is a part of me that just wants to get away from people in general.

It's not because I don't like people. In fact, I really love them.

There is just this part of me that occasionally wants the walls and rigor of society to just go away for a while. When that used to happen while I was in college, I would go drive out to a park along the river. Sometimes I like company, but just one or two people. Anymore than that, and it isn't nearly as relaxing.

One of my favorite things to do is to go fishing. People have told me that they don't understand the appeal. For them, they find it boring.

One person told me, "You go out and sit there for hours. Sometimes you don't even catch a fish!"

Usually this statement is followed by a declaration of the fact that they don't like the taste of fish anyway, which I can respect.

However, for me, the fishing isn't really about catching fish.

Don't get me wrong, I do love that part too. The adrenaline rush when you finally get one on your hook can make up for hours of sitting still. However, it might be the sitting part that I enjoy the most.

For me, sitting on the banks of the river with very few people around (aside from maybe my husband or grandpa) is very therapeutic. I love listening to the sound of the river and thinking. A quiet conversation is

also appreciated. Mostly, I love getting away from everything and just feeling nature around me. Without the many distractions of society, I can often contemplate my goals and desires in peace.

I probably sound like a hippie.

Fish are one of the few animals that I have killed regularly in my life. It can occasionally make me feel bad, but we always eat what we catch, and I learned from the best how to cook rainbow trout so it tastes pretty good. My husband, who didn't think he liked fish before we were married, LOVES trout. Especially how we cook it.

Fishing is a family tradition as well. As long as I can remember, my mom's dad would take us fishing. When I went to college in Utah, I lived with my grandparents for a while, and my grandpa and I would often go fishing. It was a way that I really bonded with him, and that has also made it something precious to me.

Grig likes fishing best when we catch fish. He loves to explore nature, so it is harder for him to sit in one spot for a long time. If he gets bored, he'll go climb rocks for a while, and then come back. That's fine with me too. We all connect with nature in our own way.

Kevin has been fishing with us a few times. So far, he's still more interested in throwing rocks in the water, but I think he'll like to fish when he's older too.

It's a tradition that I'm keen on continuing.