By Joe DiPietro
The thought of losing a big fish is enough to turn the stomach of any die-hard fisherman. And when it happens, there’s simply no medicine stout enough to soothe the pain.
There are an awful lot of cute cliches folks use to feel better about losing a fish or not catching any at all. Perhaps my least favorite is, “That’s why they call it fishing and not catching.”
Unfortunately for me, I’m in the business of catching, not losing or missing or spooking fish. For me, the end result is this: A bad day of fishing doesn’t ever beat a bad day of work. It is a bad day at work.
I’ll admit it, personally, I’m not the best at landing big fish. But, I am blessed with great talent when it comes to finding, patterning and hooking big fish. But like clockwork, my nerves ruin me and the loss of a big fish is much more common for me than landing one.
So, in most cases, I give the fish away to clients who are often able to do the final task of landing big fish. However, every now and again I run into an angler like myself, and we’re both left shaking our heads when we have a big fish come free, break off or spit the hook.
When this happens, I’m always reminded of something American author Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.”
This may be the only saying I seek solace in when I lose a big fish. But if Thoreau was right, what exactly is it that we’re looking for if it’s not fish?
For me, I think it’s the hunt. It’s the thrill of what “da river” might hold for me on any given day and the hope of finally fooling one of the several fish I may be working on at any given time. For this same reason, I prefer to fish the same location, better yet, the same section of the same river nearly every day. There’s a very special feeling in spotting a good trout and getting to know it well before you ever consider throwing anything with a hook at it.
I have had what I call love affairs with such fish, during which I’ve spent months watching and figuring out a fish’s habits from day to day. I can count on one hand the number of these fish I have photographs of in my hands. I can count on two hands the number of these fish I have photos of clients holding.
Instead of photos of myself holding a trophy, I submit that the hunt is what I’m fishing for. The satisfaction of knowing I fooled a trout that took work. Simply getting the fish to eat what I’m tossing. Fooling the wise old beast.
Anybody can walk blindly up a creek or river and dumb luck into a good fish now and again. But it takes love, hard work, time and dedication to fool a trophy. And those things are all we seek out of people close to us in our lives. Perhaps a pursuit worth our love, hard work, time and dedication is all we’re really fishing for.
Never forget, fishing for trout is an exercise in patience, not perfection.
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