With all the fun and enjoyment we anglers have from sport fishing, we sometimes forget that it is purely a sustenance activity.
Catch-and-release movements have accelerated fishing and perhaps even made it a popular pastime that is now popular with people from all walks of life. Rich or poor, we can go fishing just to recharge our batteries, reconnect with nature, or simply because we love it.
But that wasn’t always the case. People have been going to the water to feed their families and neighbors for thousands of years. Fishing was work, just as tedious and vital as clearing land, planting seeds, and sewing garments from animal skins.
Many still work on the water today.
Like the tides of the sea, the water exerts a primal attraction on me. If there is a river, lake or sea nearby, I want to see, smell and feel it.
Barb and I traveled to Cape Cod, Massachusetts last week to visit friends, play golf and enjoy the sights. The Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod Bay were never more than a few miles from where we visited, so it was only natural that we should be at a Bayside dock in Chatham.
The hustle and bustle at the end of the pier caught our attention, so we strolled out to investigate. A trawler was moored and crew members transferred buckets of dogfish and rays to the conveyor that took the fish to the processing plant where it was cleaned, bagged and frozen for distribution to US and global markets.
Seals, terns and gulls stationed themselves around the boat and its workers, waiting for a chance to catch a fish that slipped into the water while being unloaded.
All these actions reminded me that fishing is work for many. While many of us head to our favorite lakes and rivers for a leisurely few hours tossing from a deck or watching a float from a shoreside seat, others work hard to market the catch and make an income to earn for their families.
As I watched the crew of fishermen, it struck me that their jobs weren’t all that different from ours who work in Erie, Mosquito, Pymatuning, West Branch, or Milton waters.
We achieve success through our instincts, knowledge, experience and talents. Our devices have to work reliably and failures are costly.
Some people fish for zander. Others fish for bass, crappie, musky or catfish, and then we have the commercial fishermen who bring us cod, lobster, yellowfin and bluefin tuna, salmon, dogfish, Lake Erie bass, squid and whatever else the human palate could desire desired, bring .
Of course, many sport fishermen eat what they catch. The good thing about fishing is that we can do it however we want as long as we follow the rules and regulations.
For the hobbyist or the pro, the stakes are different, but the rewards are the same. When the fishing is good, the work seems easy. If you don’t succeed, it’s time to change gears.
Those are the thoughts that come to mind as you walk to the end of a dock 650 miles from home.
Jack Wollitz’ book The Common Angler is a collection of stories that explain why anglers have a passion for fishing. Send a message to [email protected].
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