BY BART HALLIDAY
(Published February, 1992, Utah Fishing & Outdoors)
He yelled with every fish, so loud and so long that others came to watch. He was a man catching fish and obviously enjoying it. He and his companion were catching fish almost at will. It seemed so easy for them it was almost embarrassing. They were very good fishermen dealing with very cooperative fish. Such productive fishing trips are a real pleasure.
But fun fishing trips are not always measuredby the number of fish caught. The pleasures of being outdoors, of being separated from telephones, of shared time with a friend or family member — these are some of the big pleasures people discover as we guide them on the river. Fish caught are merely a bonus. Just as the real enjoyment of dining out is not so much the food but the company and atmosphere shared, so it is with fishing.
Mothers and sons, grandfathers and grandsons -— all have floated the river in my boat. Bonds can be developed or strengthed on a fishing trip. Not too long ago a father and son, using rented equipment, floated the river with me. They learned a bit about casting and fishing and a lot about one another. They did catch a few fish. Dad found out his son had a great deal of patience and perserverence for an eight-year-old. They both found they liked being outdoors together;participating in an activity where they set their own goals and others did not force them into a frantic pace or unrealistic expectations.
In my experience, the frantic or unrealistic usually comes from experienced fishermen. Numbers and size of fish are often their
measure of success. But their expectations are not truly realistic. I have always sensed this, but until recently had no example to demonstratemy ideas. The bass fishing tournaments shown on television during the winter have given me ammunition to support my ideas. For example, these tournaments have up to 150 of the top bass fishermen in the country. In a three-day tournament, the winner often will weigh in about 45 to 55 pounds of fish. However, many of the fishermen will not bring in a limit of fish, usually from five to seven fish, each day.
These are professional fishermen — good enough to have corporate sponsors, men who earn their living fishing. These folks, who are trying to catch the most studied sport fish in the country using some of the most sophisticated equipmentin the fishing world, can and do get skunked.
Women are some of the most realistic fishers. They usually catch a few but not a lot of fish. And they will be pleased to hear that even the pros don’t slay them all of the time. But I’m not sure they really care. Women are a delight because they will fish, nap, sight — see, watch the fish without trying to catch them, sunbathe, catch a few fish, miss some bodacious strikes, tangle their lines, watch the birds, bring a jug of wine instead of beer and in general, just have fun while being pleasant company.
Women help you see the flowers, make you explain why you are doing things this or that way, and sometimes will even suggest there are- no fish in the particular piece of water you are fishing. But they are always the best of company and truly make fishing fun.
One of the most delightful things about women is their sense for the physical demands of fly casting. Most of them will take breaks during the day as they realize their wrists, elbows and shoulders will not tolerate eight or nine hours of casting. Some of the men also realize this and they will take a break, using the time to discuss the fish, the water, other types of fishing, etc. These folks who can relax without pressing all day long are the fun ones.
Fun was being with a fellow who had suffered a serious accident and was still in his rehabilitation period. His strength, balance and reaction times were all affected. But he was an absolute delight. Having had his nose squashed against the window
of death, he was tuned to the smallest and simplest pleasures of life. The boat ride was delightful. The weather was delightful. Seeing fish was a delight. Watching them feed was even more delightful. Even watching fish take and reject his fly
before he could set the hook was a delight. And catching two fish was absolutely thrilling.
This fellow and death had lunched together. He knew what was important: it wasn’t catching fish, it was being out fishing. Being able to go fishing was a treasure I shared with him. He was the most fun of all.
