I always get asked this question from non anglers...
"Why do you go fishing?"
Well it's simple, to me there is no other hobby or sport in the world that makes me happier and relaxes me more.
Fishing has been part of my life for years and years.
It all started when I was about 5 / 6 years old...
We went fishing with my uncle and them the at the Vaaldam the one weekend, they also huge into fishing, especially my cousin, whom unfortunately past away in a car accident a few years ago. If he could go fishing every weekend of his life then he was happy and he would go to every comp he could.....
That's where it all started for me, he helped me a lot and gave me some good advice too... Since then I was completely hooked and wanted to learn everything there is to learn about freshwater fishing.
I became so hooked on fishing that I myself also couldn't stop thinking about fishing and eventually got my whole family into the fishing spirit...
To me it's not just about sitting next to the water and aiming to improve my PB with every trip.... It's about all the things that goes into the outing.
That moment when you busy at work and all of a sudden this spark comes into your head "Hey I really need to go fishing".... Immediately afterwards you sit and start planning your trip, when? where? how long? who wants to join you? etc......
You get like that sudden adrenaline excited rush!!
Like a child going on holiday again....
After all the planning is done, you now start putting the whole trip together. You now know where you going and who's going with you and for how long.....
That's when the experience of a fishing trip starts for me.... I normally unpack my entire fishing and camping collection, spring clean them and do a stock count and checklist on what is short, needs to be replaced and what needs to be packed....everything from toilet paper to the tent or caravan.....
After that is done, normally either the weekend or day before the trip, I go to do shopping.... You think a woman goes crazy over shopping? Then you must see an angler in a outdoors / angling shop!!!
I normally end up spending a lot of money on sometimes things that we won't even be using on the trip, things that you think is a must have or in case you need it.....
Now that the shopping is done and you can't stop thinking or talking about your fishing trip, the day before your trip finally comes....you get off work early and rush home to buy the last few groceries. You get home and immediately start packing your bakkie, caravan, trailer, etc paying special attention to your checklist and making sure that even though you always forget something, usually the toilet paper you don't forget it this time round!! (Anders is mamma weer kwaad vir jou hahaha)
Finally everything is packed, it's time to go to bed cause you have to be up early....don't want to sit in a 10 car line waiting for the gates to open....you want to be at the gates first cause you want your favourite spot....the spot where no matter what, you always seem to have luck and catch a couple of fish. Only problem is, you can't go to sleep, you so excited and you keep on running your checklist and plan of action through your head.... (Don't forget the toilet paper)
Eventually you fall asleep........
Rinnnnnngggggggggg....the sound of your alarm goes at 03:00am in the morning, where normally you press the snooze button, you now jump out of bed and start running your bath or jump into the shower cause you don't want to waste time....
Everything is now packed and you ready to go..... just as you start pulling out of the gates with a huge smile on your face, mamma asks you, "did you remember the toilet paper?" you sit for a second and think....mmmm "Yes I did" you reply....
Finally you on your way and can't wait to get to the water. You do your best to get to those gates first and you try and overtake every guy with a trailer, caravan, canoe or fishing rod on the roof.... In your mind they going to the same place as you and they trying to get to the gates first hahahaha
You get to the gates just before they open, if you lucky your first otherwise you sit patiently in line and wait for your turn to pay entrance fee....
You go through those gates and drive down to your favourite spot next to the water, it's still a little misty and daylight is only starting to come through now....
It's still chilly outside, but you don't mind because the trip you planned is falling into place so nicely, you going fishing and you don't have a worry or stress in the world. You climb out of your car and stand and look over the water for a minute or two....taking in all mother nature has to offer you....
While the pot is busy boiling hot water on the gas bottle for some fresh coffee, you unpack whilst searching for that toilet paper and you setup camp and bait your rods, you so proud cause your campsite always seem to look the best and most protected from wind and sun...
Finally you take your lines into the water with either your canoe or remote controlled bait boat.... You even more excited now, because you can't wait for that first reel run, that sound of the alarm going off when you least expect it!
Sometimes you wait a while and other times you lucky and you don't even have time to sit and finish your coffee....
Nothing beats the noise of that screaming reel or alarm going off....!!
You start catching fish and the sizes always seem to vary and fall just short of your PB even though you always think you have that big one on the other end of the line......
But you don't mind, you busy catching fish....
Like they say "a bad days fishing, is still better then a days work"
To me just being able to sit next to the water and to relax with your family and friends is what makes the entire trip even more memorable.....
Just sitting there, watching the sun rise and set over the water is absolutely worth it....
Night falls after an exciting day, you light the campfire, puit on your glow in the dark policemen, now you even more relaxed and you share your fishing adventures and stories with your friends whilst having a nice doppie and waiting for the coals the get ready for your braai.... Whilst you sitting and having your drink and talking, your alarm goes off again and you see how your glow in the dark policemen disappears into the darkness of the water....you jump up as fast as you can and run to your rod. You so excited and even start shaking cause of the adrenaline pumping through you hahahaha
After a nice long day and night of sharing stories, catching fish, smelling like fish hehehe, braaiing, etc. You have a nice wash down and get into bed next to your wonderful supporting wife or girlfriend or next to that one dronk friend that snorrrrssss the entire camp awake hahahaha but the snorring doesn't bother you cause you enjoying your trip so much, besides you know when you eventually fall asleep you gonna snorrrrr even louder hahaha
Now you either wake up to the sounds of your alarm again or to the most beautiful sunrise next to the water, you actually can't wait to get out of bed and check your lines and start your wonderful day all over again....
That's why i go fishing and how I got hooked!
A combination of everything, fishing, camping, spending time with your family and friends, all the excitement and just the relaxation of do all those things with the people you love the most.....creating everlasting memories...
Yes your fishing trip doesn't always work out the way you planned it, but for me there still is no other sport or hobby that comes close to fishing....Just being outdoors and being active makes everything worth while....
Thought I just share this with all the fellow anglers out there who like myself is hooked on fishing....
:fishn:
"Why do you go fishing?"
Well it's simple, to me there is no other hobby or sport in the world that makes me happier and relaxes me more.
Fishing has been part of my life for years and years.
It all started when I was about 5 / 6 years old...
We went fishing with my uncle and them the at the Vaaldam the one weekend, they also huge into fishing, especially my cousin, whom unfortunately past away in a car accident a few years ago. If he could go fishing every weekend of his life then he was happy and he would go to every comp he could.....
That's where it all started for me, he helped me a lot and gave me some good advice too... Since then I was completely hooked and wanted to learn everything there is to learn about freshwater fishing.
I became so hooked on fishing that I myself also couldn't stop thinking about fishing and eventually got my whole family into the fishing spirit...
To me it's not just about sitting next to the water and aiming to improve my PB with every trip.... It's about all the things that goes into the outing.
That moment when you busy at work and all of a sudden this spark comes into your head "Hey I really need to go fishing".... Immediately afterwards you sit and start planning your trip, when? where? how long? who wants to join you? etc......
You get like that sudden adrenaline excited rush!!
Like a child going on holiday again....
After all the planning is done, you now start putting the whole trip together. You now know where you going and who's going with you and for how long.....
That's when the experience of a fishing trip starts for me.... I normally unpack my entire fishing and camping collection, spring clean them and do a stock count and checklist on what is short, needs to be replaced and what needs to be packed....everything from toilet paper to the tent or caravan.....
After that is done, normally either the weekend or day before the trip, I go to do shopping.... You think a woman goes crazy over shopping? Then you must see an angler in a outdoors / angling shop!!!
I normally end up spending a lot of money on sometimes things that we won't even be using on the trip, things that you think is a must have or in case you need it.....
Now that the shopping is done and you can't stop thinking or talking about your fishing trip, the day before your trip finally comes....you get off work early and rush home to buy the last few groceries. You get home and immediately start packing your bakkie, caravan, trailer, etc paying special attention to your checklist and making sure that even though you always forget something, usually the toilet paper you don't forget it this time round!! (Anders is mamma weer kwaad vir jou hahaha)
Finally everything is packed, it's time to go to bed cause you have to be up early....don't want to sit in a 10 car line waiting for the gates to open....you want to be at the gates first cause you want your favourite spot....the spot where no matter what, you always seem to have luck and catch a couple of fish. Only problem is, you can't go to sleep, you so excited and you keep on running your checklist and plan of action through your head.... (Don't forget the toilet paper)
Eventually you fall asleep........
Rinnnnnngggggggggg....the sound of your alarm goes at 03:00am in the morning, where normally you press the snooze button, you now jump out of bed and start running your bath or jump into the shower cause you don't want to waste time....
Everything is now packed and you ready to go..... just as you start pulling out of the gates with a huge smile on your face, mamma asks you, "did you remember the toilet paper?" you sit for a second and think....mmmm "Yes I did" you reply....
Finally you on your way and can't wait to get to the water. You do your best to get to those gates first and you try and overtake every guy with a trailer, caravan, canoe or fishing rod on the roof.... In your mind they going to the same place as you and they trying to get to the gates first hahahaha
You get to the gates just before they open, if you lucky your first otherwise you sit patiently in line and wait for your turn to pay entrance fee....
You go through those gates and drive down to your favourite spot next to the water, it's still a little misty and daylight is only starting to come through now....
It's still chilly outside, but you don't mind because the trip you planned is falling into place so nicely, you going fishing and you don't have a worry or stress in the world. You climb out of your car and stand and look over the water for a minute or two....taking in all mother nature has to offer you....
While the pot is busy boiling hot water on the gas bottle for some fresh coffee, you unpack whilst searching for that toilet paper and you setup camp and bait your rods, you so proud cause your campsite always seem to look the best and most protected from wind and sun...
Finally you take your lines into the water with either your canoe or remote controlled bait boat.... You even more excited now, because you can't wait for that first reel run, that sound of the alarm going off when you least expect it!
Sometimes you wait a while and other times you lucky and you don't even have time to sit and finish your coffee....
Nothing beats the noise of that screaming reel or alarm going off....!!
You start catching fish and the sizes always seem to vary and fall just short of your PB even though you always think you have that big one on the other end of the line......
But you don't mind, you busy catching fish....
Like they say "a bad days fishing, is still better then a days work"
To me just being able to sit next to the water and to relax with your family and friends is what makes the entire trip even more memorable.....
Just sitting there, watching the sun rise and set over the water is absolutely worth it....
Night falls after an exciting day, you light the campfire, puit on your glow in the dark policemen, now you even more relaxed and you share your fishing adventures and stories with your friends whilst having a nice doppie and waiting for the coals the get ready for your braai.... Whilst you sitting and having your drink and talking, your alarm goes off again and you see how your glow in the dark policemen disappears into the darkness of the water....you jump up as fast as you can and run to your rod. You so excited and even start shaking cause of the adrenaline pumping through you hahahaha
After a nice long day and night of sharing stories, catching fish, smelling like fish hehehe, braaiing, etc. You have a nice wash down and get into bed next to your wonderful supporting wife or girlfriend or next to that one dronk friend that snorrrrssss the entire camp awake hahahaha but the snorring doesn't bother you cause you enjoying your trip so much, besides you know when you eventually fall asleep you gonna snorrrrr even louder hahaha
Now you either wake up to the sounds of your alarm again or to the most beautiful sunrise next to the water, you actually can't wait to get out of bed and check your lines and start your wonderful day all over again....
That's why i go fishing and how I got hooked!
A combination of everything, fishing, camping, spending time with your family and friends, all the excitement and just the relaxation of do all those things with the people you love the most.....creating everlasting memories...
Yes your fishing trip doesn't always work out the way you planned it, but for me there still is no other sport or hobby that comes close to fishing....Just being outdoors and being active makes everything worth while....
Thought I just share this with all the fellow anglers out there who like myself is hooked on fishing....
:fishn:
.