Whether it is the open water or the open air, something about it draws me. Blistering wind or extreme cold or intolerable heat, going fishing is a great feeling. Fishing in the snow. Fishing in the heat. Fishing in the snow. Fishing on the water. Fishing on the ice. I love it all. 

Just being out in nature is an experience of its own. The pristine water and the calm peaceful waves and wind pounding towards me is a feeling like a deep sleep. Being immersed in the nature of the world there is just a peace about it. When fishing I get to experience nature to its fullest. I get to see new animals and experience new things. For instance, if I wasn’t fishing I would have never been able to see a family of bears being chased by wolves on a frozen lake. These one-of-a-kind experiences with nature fills my life with excitement and happiness as just being out fishing is an experience that fills me with happiness even if I do not catch anything. Fishing in essence is a way to experience nature.

Another great aspect about fishing is the people you do it with. Not everyone will be around forever and an activity like fishing is a great way to grow connections and further relationships with people. Being out on the water, phones put away, there is no other option than to talk to the person you are fishing with. I have found that I have grown closer to my father, brother, uncles, and with anyone I have gone out with just by doing this. Love for fishing has been a tradition that has been passed down for generations in my family, for my relationships with family and friends wouldn’t be what they are today without fishing. 

My final reason for my love for fishing is the fact that it is just fun to catch fish. Whether it is catching a rare fish or catching a big fish or catching a ton of fish, these experiences give off great feelings. Sometimes it is a feeling of competition with my brother for instance, trying to see who can be the first to catch twenty fish. Other times it is the exhilarating feeling of catching that trophy fish knowing that it will be ages before I catch another fish of this magnitude, or just the fun of catching a hundred fish in a day. These feelings of gratitude, happiness, and achievement all can come from this activity. Overall, I have found fishing to be a very rewarding break from the hustle and constant bombardment of stress from life. A time with phones put away and stress gone; it is just a break from life. Therefore, I find fishing as a favorite activity of mine that I just enjoy doing.