By Ethan Hollifield
I recently had a conversation with a gentleman that I’ve known for a long time and have admired for his angling experience. I was in the middle of telling him how my job schedule, while I’m more than thankful for it, has kept me from fishing as often as I would like. In the middle of my rant, he abruptly interrupted me and said “Ethan, there is always time to fish.”
I don’t think I’m alone when, more often than not, I have made too many excuses as to why I can’t go fish, even when I have a little time to. “Things are due for work tomorrow.” “The house is a mess.” “I’m too tired, it’s been a very difficult day.” I often say these things right as I’m driving by my favorite trout stream or when I’m only a couple of miles away from my favorite smallmouth river. Heck, I have a 4 acre lake below the house that I drive by every single day that would be worth making a few casts in, if nothing else. Granted, I’m only 24 and (I hope) I have a long and fulfilling future ahead of me. But I can’t count the times where I would forgo something that I loved to do for a relationship or a responsibility that, in a year, won’t even be relevant anymore. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful for my family and the jobs that I have. I wouldn’t trade those for anything in the world. I often find it a relatively ironic part of the human condition: in that we tend to push aside the things we love, like fishing, for things of less importance. So, I’ve made it a point to go fishing as often as I can now. My rods, which have previously been long neglected, are kept ready to roll in my truck at all times.
So, why is all of this important to us as anglers? I can remember as a kid how my mind was consumed with the thought of my next fishing adventure, so what happened to that childlike enthusiasm? There are plenty of articles online about how awesome fishing is and why we should invest our time and money into it. It’s much easier to read about in our heads and forget about it the next day rather than live it out completely. It’s an investment; every investment we make in our lives initially sucks. However, I wholeheartedly believe that waiting for retirement or for a free moment for us to arise as anglers to go and fish will lead to a harsh eventuality later on in life. I can’t count the conversations I’ve had with anglers, who are much older and wiser than myself, who have told me of all the time they took for granted, and how if they could redo everything that there would have been more fish hung and more happier memories in the back of their minds.
Life isn’t going to get any easier, or any less stressful. So, why aren’t you spending precious moments doing something you love? You may regret a lot of things in this life, but never a day spent on the water.
Ethan Hollifield is a guide for Southern Appalachian Anglers and works with French Broad Riverkeeper