Do You Fish?

“People who don’t fish think it is lazy or boring.  But it is the complete opposite.  There are a hundred little decisions to be made, variables to be considered.  And you are never quite sure what made the difference.  Did I cast too high or too far to the left, reel it in too slow or too fast?  Is the lure too shiny or too dull?  Do I stay here, or should I go over there?  You know it’s not luck, but you don’t know by how much.

People are predictable, unchanging, monotonous.  They use the same language, offer the same excuses, make the same mistakes.  People are endlessly disappointing because you hope they won’t be. 
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This is why I am fishing. Because I am never disappointed out here.  Because I don’t expect anything, because anything is possible.  I can be hopeful out here, even in failure.  Because I know that if I just go over there around that tree, it might be different, something might be different, something I do might make a difference. “ -Rowan Pope

Now this is a quote from a character from the television show “Scandal.”  And for the most part I can agree with him and his assessment of fishing.  So… here is why I fish…

I love problem solving.  I have always loved it since I was a kid.  When something is broken, I want to find a way to fix it.  When I am placed with a math problem, I want to find the right number.  I love puzzles and mind games.  Even when I had to do my ordination exams to be a pastor and we were asked to solve case scenarios, I loved those as well.  I love thinking and the struggle involved in problem solving.  I do believe fishing is the same as well. 

Like what Rowan Pope says, fishing has a lot of variables to consider.  I am not just dropping a line in the water aimlessly and just observing watching my line move.  No!  I am active.  I am always on the move, trying to put a fishing pattern together.  That is to solve what lure, what color, how fat to reel, where to fish so that I can land as on a consistent basis of fish on the bank.  When I fish, I need to be focused.  I need to consider every variable.  Those are the type of lures to use, to what color of lures, thickness of line, type of fishing line, fishing gear that is correlates to the type of lure I am fishing, casting distance, casting accuracy, water temperature, air temperature, barometric pressure, water clarity, weather, wind, location to fish, and what time of the day to fish.  Fishing is a lot of things to consider if you want to catch fish.  When I fish, there is a purpose and goal, that is to catch fish, and to catch fish there is a lot of problem solving involved, a lot of work to do, and everything in consideration. 

Our faith is as simple as fishing.  In fishing if our goal is to catch fish, then our goal in faith is to get closer to God.  Faith and fishing have a lot of variables to consider.  But simply with faith, remember as you get older, everything becomes more and more complicated, because life and the world is complicated.  The simple answers that we received in Sunday School as children may no longer give us comfort in our adult lives.  That means we have to problem solve.  We must consider time management, happiness, family, location, finances, vacation, relationships, work environment, and friend and family supportive system.  These are also all variables that can affect our faith and the ability to get closer to God.  Fishing has an aim; may your faith also have an aim and guidance as well. 

Now, not too sure how much I agree with Rowan Pope on his assessment of people.  But I do agree that the world can be disappointing.  I think we invest so much hope for the world, only to be easily disappointed by the world.  I think this is why many of Jesus, messages are all about detaching ourselves from worldly desires such as fame, popularity, dependance on people, money, material, lifestyle, and the pursuit of short-term happiness.

Because when the world can be tough, that is why I fish.  Like Rowan Pope says, I can’t be disappointed in fishing…unless I don’t catch a fish, or unless I do not make an effort to catch fish, that is ignoring all the variables in fishing.  You never know what to expect in fishing.  Because you never know what is going to be at the end of your line.  The moment you see your line jump, bobber go down, feel a tug, or tap, see your rod bend, you never know what is on the end of the line.  It can be a 6-inch bass or a 10lb bass, or a 30lb carp, or a 32-inch pike, or a turtle, or a tire. 

In fishing it’s hard to be disappointed because even if I am not catching fish, I can think that if I change, do something different, go somewhere different, change my approach, change my lure, or diameter of line, then maybe I can make a difference.  This is why I fish, it’s never boring, and always full of anticipation and hope.  

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