A brief background...

No...  I didn't mean an underwear background picture.  But thanks for the interest.

Played a fair amount of sports as a kid, till about 14, 15 years old.

Football, Martial Arts, Basket Ball, Wrestling, Boxing.  Boxing was one of my favorites and last sports.  Very brief, match up, cleaned the guys clock, aaaaaah good times.  Good times.  Was terrifying but I loved it.  I haven't actually been involved in any physical sport/activity, other than having kids and a <cough> fun wife in years now.

Played video games my whole life.  From the time I was probably around 7 years old, playing Wizardry on some computer a truer nerd than I would say "Oh cool" at the mention of the relic computers name.  Duke Nuke'm, Doom, Command & Conquer, Sim City, Sims, Unreal Tournament, Half Life, and up to more currentish games such as World of Warcraft (through EverQuest), Counter Strike, Call of Duty, and so on.  Back in the day, I was also playing things like MUD's.  If you don't know it, don't sweat it. ;-p

Crap thats a long nerd list.  And here's more!

Through out that period of time, up until my early twenties, I was playing table top roll playing games.  Oh yeah baby, that's how I hooked my wife.  A little Dungeons and Dragons.  Actually she hooked me through some internet stalking but that's another story... er... perhaps its this story.  huh.

Now a days, I play few games, my video card died on my computer and I'm choosing not to get a new one.  It's a life style choice.  Just go with it. 

I'm currently a Software Developer for a well known Project Management Software company, if you're in the construction business on the more business side of things.  All in all, I've been in the Information Technology business for years.  And have near zero education.  Yep.  I got a GED and took one college class.  I'm a tinker and explorer at heart.  If I'm interested in something, I don't think about what my background is, I explore it in bits and if I can understand those little things I learn, I explore it in more detail.  Eventually, I grow proficient and in some cases, near expert, I think.  I struggle with labeling my self with anything flattering.  I think it's modesty, who knows for sure (queue shrink).

This background is really to give people the picture as to what kind of fat person I've turned into.  Not really huge...  Slightly chunky is how I like to think of it.  No, I'm not big boned but having a broad chest, especially for a short guy, definitely helps me hide some of this gut.

How does this all relate to A Newbs Entry into Fishing?  Why the hell are you reading it?  I dunno that's your damn problem Mr./Ms. Reader (don't care if I spelled Mr/Ms right in consideration of your situation <hugs>).

Actually it does relate.  Ha fooled you.  I bring up this kind of background information for any person thinking about starting fishing or any person who's recently started fishing and is wondering if they can huff and puff there way through some of the "good spot hiking" or what not. 

People often don't relate fishing to a physical sport.  True enough, the actual act of fishing, for the most part isn't really all that physical.  Now before you Sea Fisherman castrate me, I'm mainly a Lake/River/Slough Angler.  And from what I can tell, that's where most Anglers are referring to.  Sea Fishing is the mother of fishing, but that's true in both how much it costs as well as the size of fish you're landing.  And no Mr./Ms. (see above) I live by the Sea and its not that expense, I'm not talking about you.  For many of us, fishing the sea involves a several hour trip that, if we're not going out on a charter boat, we'd rather not go at all.  At least that's my take.  And then there's the whole middle of the U.S. that just isn't thinking "Salt Water" on a day to day, "what we gonna do this weekend" basis.

So how does fishing relate to a physical sport? 

Finding the good spots.  As you start fishing, you'll quickly find out that the most common places people stop are the places that are easiest to access.  Usually that means anything with less than a 5 minute walk from the car.  These places become more like gambling to fish at than actual fishing.  Even if you cast to all the best places where fish "Should" be at, nothing may be there because either an hour ago or a day ago, someone else cleaned out that spot.

To find a REALLY good spot, you're best to head off trail a bit.  Search the web all you like.  You'll find lazies who don't mind not catch'n stuff say it's not true.  But after 4+ months of not catching anything in the "common" fishing locations that everyone else stops at, it wasn't until I became willing to hike for thirty minutes to an hour down a trail that I really found fish willing to bite.

So yes, if you're a fatty who doesn't like the idea of hiking, but loves the idea of heading out fishing, you to can still be an Angler.  For me, it's the thought of getting out there that gives me a little extra adrenaline to walk a little further to get to a good spot.

The thing to watch out for?  Frustration.  But I think I'll make that one of my next few blogs.



A catchy signature that makes people think "oh how cool"...