If You’re Fishing, Be Fishing

So I don't have a lot of photos of me holding fish.  I suppose that's in part a reflection of my fishing prowess?  It's also a reflection of the fact that a lot of times I fish alone... fishing selfies are hard, if not impractical.  Mostly though it's a reflection that, by this point in my life, I'm (finally) starting to learn the value of trying to be present in the moment.  I'm not saying this to get all That Nich Hahn (though we all should, the man had a point).  Rather, I witness in fishing what I've witnessed in the pastimes and careers that came before fishing.

Though my concert going days are behind me (as is my ability to hear) there was a time when raucous shows were a weekly, if not nightly experience.  We'd push our way to the front of the stage...  It was loud, sweaty, there was booze and flirting and all kinds of nefarious activities taking place in bathrooms and backstage.  It was, in a word, awesome.  No one in the audience watched the concert through the screen on their phone, held up to video.

My first ten years in Belize I spent days, weeks on end at times, in the back of our restaurant kitchen.  I worked with some amazingly talented cooks.  We'd toil all day prepping, tasting, prefecting, finishing and plating dishes.  We'd then watch as the front of the house would bring food out to tables, temperature, texture and taste all fastidiously minded so as to be as close to perfect as possible.  And the plates would sit…  Phones would come out...  Pictures of the food would be taken and posted.  Swipe... Scroll... "Like"... as food got cold.

So what's my point?  That social media is ruining everything?  It's not that simplistic (maybe it is?)  What I'm lobbying for here is when folks are out fishing they should be enjoying the fishing. Ask yourself "Would I be having as much fun if I could not document this experience?"   If your answer is "no" what does that tell?

Swiping and scrolling you'll see all kinds of hero fishing shots nowadays. Not only are a lot of photos contextually dishonest (newsflash - 25 lb permit are not landed every day) but many are 100% scripted. Example, if you see 5 anglers grouped together on a flat, jumping in unison while holding a gasping, befuddled fish, you can bet it probably was not a candid shot capturing a “living my best life” moment.  More likely, it was the result of a photographer giving the directive of “Ok, just a few more shots, this time with more spontaneity.”  

 I’m not dogmatically dictating leave the camera at home or keep your phone stashed in your sling pack save for emergency calls only.  I’m not that hypocritical.  There are obviously lots of photos on this website.  And there are some truly talented photographers in the fishing world capturing jaw-droppingly-gorgeous images (usually not of themselves.)  But there’s a mentality nowadays of “if there’s no photo it didn’t happen.”  Actually, more often than not, it did.

So next time you DO land that 25lb permit, pause.  Look at the fish.  Look all around you.  Take it all in.  Savor it.  And you might just find that’s all you need.

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