Why Do We Fish

Humans have probably been fishing from the beginning of time. It was a source of food: people simply fished as a way to survive. As time went on, better means and ways to catch fish evolved and are still evolving. As long as there are fish to be caught and places to catch them, there will be someone trying to think of a better and more efficient way. Is this a genetic demand that is so strong in some people that they can not resist it or is it an acquired passion fueled by the desire to be close to nature and all of her wonders?

The point being that I have discovered that my desire to fish has been motivated by my desire to be close to the water and all that nature has to offer in the marine environment.

Someone asked me how long had I been fishing and my reply was that I did not remember, but I had a photograph of myself in diapers, sitting in an old wooden skiff and holding a fishing pole. I know that someone put me in that skiff and gave me that pole. Was this the beginning of my desire to fish or did it go deeper than that to some primal need based on my genetic background? I read somewhere that if a child is introduced to fishing before the age of 12 he or she is more likely to continue fishing for the rest of his or her life. I do know that I was obsessed with fishing and the water from childhood and was selling fish at the local fish market as a means to make money before I was 12 years old.

In this changing world that we live in I have found that we have to evolve with it to enjoy what we have left of our natural environment, and a kayak is the perfect platform from which to do it. A kayak allows us to penetrate that world in a new dimension that not only affords us access to more fish and their habitat; it allows us to slow down and smell the roses in peace and solitude, away from daily rush and competition.. Unlike fishing from a bigger boat, when you are fishing with a group of kayakers you can paddle off by yourself and still have your own little world to observe the beauty of nature, with the peace and quiet to be alone with your thoughts. Whether your desire to fish is from some inherited genetic background or just a newly acquired hobby, I think a large part of fishing is the total experience, including the ability to connect with nature and to study the habits and habitat of fish and other wildlife.

My professional life has always been based on, in and around the water. It started out as a child in an old cypress rowing skiff and advanced to many other various marine occupations over my lifetime. I went from one extreme to the other: from working as a commercial fisherman and a shrimper to an Orvis Endorsed fly-fishing guide practicing catch and release fishing and a board member of the Coastal Conservation Association. Now I am in the kayak business and have gone full circle from fishing out of a rowing skiff to fishing out of a kayak.

Even an experienced angler is still a student. So take a child or someone new to the sport kayak fishing and teach them not only how to fish but angler ethics, stewardship and conservation. The world will be a better place for all of us.