Originally Posted by
CNDN_Jo
from Canada, but but I don't see a Canuck “board”, so “when in Rome”.
Tonight I was down at “Walmart” checking out the tackle and whatnot. About this time I had a sobering thought [(The amount of money spent on fishing gear and supplies.) / (Amount of fish caught.)] = Fish Value. The fish value is scary, because it tells you how much each fish you've caught actually cost you. Of course this isn't taking into consideration sunburn lotions, worm stank, the mental cost of my buddy playing “KoRn” on his phone, or the sheer volume of snacks and drinks. Or when “You capitulate two/thirds the way through the fishing trip and go for Sushi at a restaurant.”. I'm pretty sure that most of my tackle is coated in fish guts/+blood. That little trout I pulled out of the creek has a Fish Value of about $20.00.
Then I remembered something else. Fishing might seem like a “waiting game” to the folks who don't participate, but for the angler for whom it has “clicked” we almost beg the sun to fall slower so we focus on the line longer. At some point it clicked. Do you know what I mean by clicked? It clicked when I stopped waiting for fish to bite and started paying attention. I seem to recall standing there with my rod in my hand, index finger on the line, eyes closed so I can focus on every vibration working its way from the worm, to the hook, to the terminal, to the tip of the rod, to my hand. Then BAM You've WON! The line pendulums chaotically and your fishing rod starts jumping. In an instant the guys around you look at you and you know that they know that your not just for show. The Fish Value I mentioned doesn't take this into consideration.
That being said money is an important factor and as a fisherman I would like to reduce my Fish Value, learn to become a more skilled angler. I look forwards to learning new skills and helping other anglers too.
Pleased to meet everyone.
Salute from the North...no, further North.
-Jo