What’s so great about fishing?

My wife told me yesterday that in all the years that she has known me that I always find time to fish. My 85 yr old Dad asked me what’s I was going to do when Jaxon started playing sports year round and I told him that fishing was one of those sports and we train for it year round.

So what’s so great about fishing?
There is nothing like fishing in this world. The peaks and valleys one experiences in a single trip are unparalleled in life. The adrenaline dump is like getting into a fight without having to get punched in the face. It is an art for some, a sport for others, but it’s something undefinable for many. It’s an enigma and a puzzle and something that makes fisherman feel closer to themselves and closer to God.

There are very few things in life that allow you to unwind from the pressures of life like fishing. Even on my worst day of fishing when everything is going wrong, I can hear God speak to me. Calming me and letting me know that this is all a big lesson in life and something that should be cherished and looked at as a lesson to learn and grow from. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve felt that terrible feeling of failure while fishing, and to hear and feel God tell me to let go of my anger and disappointment. It’s often the very second I let go that things immediately turn around. It’s not always about the fish. Often it has a much deeper meaning.

Not all men are created equal and same goes for fisherman. There are good and bad folks and there are good and bad fisherman as well. I will say this, if you have an open mind and are willing to learn from others, if your friendly and willing to share with others this fishing way of life, God loves a fisherman and will take care of his flock. If your a selfish person and your in this fishing thing for yourself only, then your gonna have some tough days ahead of you. God Bless and happy fishing. Azul out!

Well said my brother!!!

X2

God, family, people (including anglers), fishing, fishing records. I really enjoy the pictures of you fishing with your family. Keep them coming.

amen brother!

How profound. For me it is a release and an escape from the pressures of work and daily life. It is a quiet place where I can pray when I go alone. When I take my grandchildren, it is a place where I can teach them and train them up in the way they should go. It is an opportunity to meet good men and surround yourself with people who will help you be a better man. It is seeing the sun come up on the water and know that God is in control. It is watching the birds flourish and know that as God provides for them, even more so will he provide for us. It is seeing the wonder in a child's eyes as he begins to understand the natural world for the first time. It is seeing the excitement in young boys when the boat comes up on plane and they feel the exhilaration of the wind and the spray. It's watching a storm cross the lake. It's seeing the gulls dive and feed. It's watching a cormorant go under and see how long he stays there and where he comes up. It's seeing the world again through a child's eyes as if for the first time. It's winter on the water, it's summer heat and flat water. It's the fall colors electric in the sun. It's the first sun warmed taste of spring. It is realizing how much God has blessed you with life and health and children and grandchildren. It is knowing that he is a loving and merciful God who showers us daily with all we need to support this body and life.

It's not about the fish...

There is a Youtube channel called Deer Meat for Dinner. The man behind it is Rob Arrington. His tag line is "All men die, few ever really live" Live my brothers. Live today. Make the best of every minute God gives you for the time we are given is His greatest blessing and he blesses those around us through us even though we are a poor tool in His hand.

Have a great day everyone. To the Great and Might Azul, thank you for sharing your feelings. What a great way to start the day!

Thanks guys! That quote “few ever really live” really strikes a note with me Tim. Something I never really talk about with anyone was loosing my sister. My sister Charisa was killed in a car accident when she was in college. Loosing her before she had a chance to really live life changed me in a way which makes me look at life as a short ride that doesn’t last long and could be over by the end of the day. Truth be told I never thought I would make it to 30 yrs old but here I am pushing 50. Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might try to live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows. I want to live my life on a full tank running hard from one good time to the next. I might not ever be rich but I won’t be dying with regrets either. One thing you’ll never hear someone on their deathbed say is “I wish I would have worked more and fished less.” When my life is done I want my tank on empty with the wheels falling off. Until that day comes, I will be trying to make one more good memory every single day.

When I was a foreman in the oilpatch, and even after I started my own company, I worked lots of 6/7 day weeks and many 12+ hour days. When I did get off a day on the weekend, or sometimes a whole weekend, you can bet I was in the woods or on the lake or river. That was the only way I could decompress and forget (mostly) my problems that would surely still be there come Monday morning, or possibly even Saturday afternoon !

Been watching this forum for quite some time, been in TX going on 2 years now. The people in the section are hands down some of the nicest/friendly/giving people I have seen thru any social media platform.

Azul- you speak lots of truth and this post proves it even more. This one hits home, one day I'll be spending more time on the water here in TX and I'm sure we will cross paths sooner or later. Until then, tight lines all!

Very Nice. Reminds me of two of my favorite quotes.

The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope. John Buchan

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. Henry David Thoreau

Those are both really great quotes and in a lot of ways kind of summarize my love of fishing.

A lot of it is about the camaraderie, the problem solving, the challenge the expectation the fact that you never know what you're going to get... It just amazes me that everyone in the world isn't addicted to fishing for one reason or another there's so many reasons to love it!

Really great topic Gato I'm glad you brought it up...enjoyed reading your comments and everyone else's.

Well said bud.

Its been a while since I have posted. Life set in and I haven't fishing in almost a month. I am itching to get out there

Well I don't think I cannot do much to this great thread.... I have the same Visions as y'all.... along the lines of what Tim was saying about the grandkids, I pretty much notice every little discovery that my grandson and granddaughter make... it is amazing to watch.... I love my life and give the Lord thanks everyday.... this thread and the good people are just Another Blessing

MD88 I'm betting you're a pilot. I wish the those old Mad Dogs were still in the air. Quietest ride in the sky... I might be way off but either way nice of you to say and welcome to the group...

I thought the love I had for my children was as much as I could love someone. That is until I had grandchildren. I recall a scripture about the children being as arrows in a quiver and being blessed. I know I am blessed because my quiver is full! I see the same realization in your post. You get it!

Yes sir Tim..... Spent a lot of time with granddaughter today and I cherish these moments because I know they'll soon be gone

Tim, I'm going to have to say it was the lader in that sentence. I'm horrible at picking screen names, so MD is just my initials Mike Davis, 88 relates to the year I was born.

Either way you all seem like great people, with like minded thoughts. This interaction from all proves it more and more.

Well Mike, I'm glad your with us. Lots of good guys on here. Lots to learn if you are looking for knowledge.

God bless you Gato! Some of my biggest losses and greatest pains have been eased on the water. My dad taught me to fly fish when I was nine. The first fish I ever witnessed him catching was a 21" German Brown that hit his fly about 6 inches above the surface of a small stream in northern New Mexico. Seeing that fish leaping out of the water and grabbing that fly did something to me that I could never explain. Losing him was tough, but going back to that stream to this day is all the healing I'll ever need. To everyone that reads this, please take a child fishing. If you're not a parent, be a mentor and change a child's life. I'm pretty sure fishing kept me out of prison and lead me to some of the greatest friendships I've ever known. Gato, I appreciate all you do, the info that you are so unselfish with, and watching you and your family experiencing all the blessings that you so deserve!

Thanks for everybody’s replies amigos! This forum is like a fraternity. Lots of guys chasing tail and looking to get lucky! Lmao! Just like a fraternity there are many different personalities and there are always a few who can’t seem to ever get along. That’s just the facts of life with so many different types in one place. It’s the smaller groups within the group like you guys that I enjoy and keeps me coming back. Glad I found a good group of dudes that are like minded and willing to share their life experiences and are also willing to listen to mine.

I look forward to fishing with some of y’all in the near future and I plan on putting on a little catfishin get-together this fall so we can all meet up and do some fishing, cook out, let the kids play, and have a good time. Let me know if this is something y’all might be interested in and I will start planning something for Lewisville, Lavon, or Twok in October.

I think a get together is a spectacular idea Chris. You say where and when and Wyatt and I will be there!

Thanks Tim! I'm glad I found this group, and your not lying about the amount of information available here. I'm excited to learn and experience more of these Texas waters. I have fished a few, but definitely some more on my list. A get together is always a good time and opportunity to learn and meet new people. October can also be a great month for f8shing and weather. I'd be down if schedule permits!

I would be down to do a group meet up.

I am going to Nepal for two weeks in October to check out Mt. Everest and what not... but if yall plan it when I am here, I will try my best to make it for sure!

Heck yeah I'm definitely down for a get together

I’m loving the camaraderie amigos! I will start a new post on it. I’m headed to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina with the family tomorrow to visit my childhood fishing buddy. We’ll be trout fishing every day and waterfall exploring so it will be a nice change of pace. Talk to y’all soon

Chris, God bless you and your family. May He make your way safe and your homecoming joyful! Have a blast friend. Talk to you when you get back... I wanna see trout pictures!

Chris,

Have a good trip, relax and enjoy!

My parents live up in the top of the Smokies, about 2 miles from TN - NC line. They are on TN side, and family farm backs up to National Park land. Lot of beautiful streams around there. Not sure exactly where you are going, but if near Tellico, TN area, there is a really cool fish hatchery up the river, outside of Tellico. Have not been there in a few years, but if looking for something to do, sure Jax would enjoy it. Also just a very pretty drive up around there.

They have had a lot of rain lately, so all the streams should have water, some might be high... Everything should be nice and green.

Safe travels!

Ken

Thanks guys! We’re going to Cedar Mountain which is 20 minutes from Hendersonville Ken. My buddy’s place backs up to the Du Pont State park and has National forest on both sides. He lives on 30 acres and has 2 waterfalls on his property and Brown Trout in his backyard stream! They call it the waterfall capitol of the US and has 250 waterfalls in the county. Gonna be a great time especially for my son.

You know I’m gonna be taking some pics with those little Trout Tim. Will give me some time to really think and I’m sure I will be making some life changes after this one as these kinds of trip usually have a big impact on my life. Talk to y’all real soon

Safe travels Bro and hope you and the family have a blast

Fished for 30 minutes last night before dinner. Caught a Brook trout 2nd cast! What luck! Also caught a mini Rainbow. We’re headed back this morning to catch dinner.

I can almost hear that water fall behind you. Great pictures Chris...

Check this one out Tim!

Looks like it’s twigs and berries for lunch cuz all I caught were 2 Warmouth.

Great pics Buddy....Jax Holding a rainbow Trout

We got redemption this evening and tonight it’s trout for diner. Ended up with 37 Brookies and Rainbows.

This was my first fishing buddy Vince. We’ve been chasing tail since we were 8 and still manage to get together and fish every year. Great times!

That is a beautiful part of the country for sure. The waterfalls are breathtaking. Fresh fish for dinner with an old friend. Can't beat that...

First fish of the morning is a Brownie.

Solid work Chris. Beautiful fish...

Looks like Tim and Fredo are the only 2 fellas who give a flip about seeing this kind of personal stuff like vacation trout fishing so I really appreciate y’all’s friendships and brotherhood amigos and it means a lot to me. Thanks for taking the time to comment and it reinforces how I feel about both you guys. Good dudes and good friends for sure. We’re headed home tomorrow and we’ll be back Catfishing this weekend. Talk to you guys soon.

I gotcha brother! You guys be safe on the way home. I'm in Orlando right now on business. Get back to the great state of Texas late tonight. I'll be on the water soon too! Thinking I may take my grandson who is visiting from up north on a night trip Thursday night or Friday night.

I watched Fredo catching crappie under the bridge on Lewisville the other day. You're a regular Richard Gene the Fishin Machine! Loveed it Fredo!

Y'all are awesome...

Chris,

Beautiful pictures... I am jealous! Been too long since I climbed around on those slick rocks in the TN mountains! Be careful with those "little" fish... they can become just as addictive as a 50 pound blue! Especially if you get the fly rod bug...

Looks like it was a great family trip, that you will all remember for a long time!

Ken

Thanks Ken I could see how guys could get addicted to trout fishing. It’s a different kind of fish therapy being alone in the mountains. Fishing those big waterfalls was a lot like floodgate fishing when I was a kid. About as fun of fishing as I’ve done. I hung 1 good Brown but it spit the hook. We did catch around 100 dinks and it was a ton of fun. I have fly fished a handful of times but the areas we fished were backwoods and there was no way you could use a fly rod in most of the spots we fished. Giant trees overhanging a twisting turning Stream with a small rock to stand on as you cast into deep holes and eddys. There were lots of fly fishing areas in the Davidson forest but the day we were going to fish there it had rained considerably and the river was murky and rolling. The areas my buddy took me to we’re as backwoods as I’ve ever fished and most of our spots we were the only 2 guys there. I got lots of great waterfall footage and I will put together a little video soon.

Fredo is a crappie catchin machine Tim and one of the nicest dudes on the forum. We made it back from the Smokies yesterday and Jaxon said he missed his Dog and catfishing the most. Hopefully we can get back in the swing of things this weekend and I can put him on some Blues Saturday. Sure wish we could catch something like what you’ve been catching Tim but I won’t hold my breath. Its hard to come back to all the traffic and turmoil of D/FW after spending a week in the Outdoorsman’s Mecca of the USA. I could see our family retiring there someday and living that laid back mountain lifestyle.

PS. Jax got his wings and says he now wants to be a pilot when he grows up. Scary thought envisioning my Texas Tornado flying a plane.

Dude! How awesome for Jax! What a way to end a trip! I can tell you the spawn is over. You guys should do well this weekend. I'm going out tomorrow and Saturday. Stay tuned...