Why do you fish?

[flyrodfisher]

Fished one of my favorite creeks one afternoon last week.
Water was high and slightly off color.
Met up with a landowner I had not seen since last fall....we had a good talk, it was good to see him again.
Waded about 2km of water.
Saw 2 bald eagles, watched a kingfisher do his thing, a few American goldfinch flutter among the bushes and two deer cross the water 50 yards upstream of me.
Sat on the bank a few times, saw some bugs, kept an eye out for bears
Never once thought about Covid
Thought a lot about those I fished with that are no longer with us.
Realized that I have more days on the stream behind me than ahead of me and wondered how many more trips I have left.
Made it back to the truck sunburnt, tired and with a sore back
A long drive back home
No pictures, no videos
Fish?...yes, caught two trout

It was a good day to be out....

[Pierre]

For me, it can't be just about catching big fish, or alot of fish. Sure, our summers are short and we want to maximize our time by having great fishing days.

However I value solitude over almost anything so I don't like to fish local ponds that I have to share with hoards of people.

Mystery also drives me. I've never been to lake X, I wonder how it fishes..or they reduced the stocking at Lake Y, I wonder how much bigger the fish are now..

Setting also plays a big part. I may accept catching smaller fish at a beautiful remote lake just for the scenery.

Of course there's Adventure...I've been lost in the bush, and on the road looking for remote lakes that hardly anyone goes to, but when you finally find that place you're looking for, the view of the water brings excitement of fishing somewhere new.

It's a beautiful world out there, lets go explore it...all of it..

[58thecat]

enjoyment that it brings to others and myself...

[fishinisgood]

It’s all about the adventure, and the excitement of a fish on the line that never grows old. Been fishing for 37 years and the excitement is still the same. Not many things a person can do for years and years and the excitement still be there. Still makes you feel like a kid.

[Smoky buck]

Because it’s like real life Pokémon

More likely it’s the challenge of coming up with a plan to complete the goal of outwitting the fish and exploring different places. I have taken this a step farther over the years by fishing with majority hand tied/made flies/lures. This now brings more in-depth preparation and satisfaction when everything comes together

[Mr Flyguy]

I've been fishing for over 50 years. Major turning point early in that time span was starting to tie my own flies and success with those. So it's just been a learning experience and awareness of/and communication with nature ever since.

Now I just wish there was a bit more cooperation from the other side this year!

[Scottmisfits]

My father and son. Three generations all on the water. This is why

[Outbound]

It's one of two places where I can find peace. I can actually let the world fade away, calm the storm that rages in my mind and just focus on one thing with no thought for anything else in the moment.

The solitude is a big part too. I only enjoy fishing with 3 other people; my dad, my lifelong fishing partner, and my wife. The rest of the time, I fish alone and prefer it that way. I often won't even get out of the truck if there's many others at the lake or on "my" section of the river. Instead I'll go another place even if it's less productive, just so I can be alone.