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Many women claim to “love to fish” and that may be true, but the real question is do you have a passion for it? Are you able to go a week fishing everyday without catching anything and still want to go out the next day? Do you have the patience to wait for a fish without getting tired, or annoyed? Are you able to endure the blistering heat, shivering cold, or the darkness at night when you can’t even see your own hand in front of you?
Passion isn’t about what you catch, or how big it is. Passion is about the love for the sport, the good times spent with family and friends, and the beauty of the great outdoors. Then there is, of course, the feeling of your adrenaline pumping as the fish strikes your bait and an even higher increase of adrenaline when you set the hook and know the fish isn’t coming off.
My question for the women out there is: do you have a passion for fishing, or do you just love to fish? If you just love to fish that’s great! But, do it as much as you can. Become familiar with the types of baits and the types of knots used. Go to a bookstore and take in as much information as possible on fishing. Buy an identification guide to learn the differences between fish. Learn as much information as possible because knowledge plays a large role when fishing. Learning information on fish can help you predict their patterns and you’ll learn what types of bait to use in different water types and areas.
Now for the women who have a passion for fishing: don’t ever feel ashamed for loving the sport. I’ve been fishing since I can remember and I’ll admit it, I was never really open about it. This is because in middle and high school those who fished or hunted were referred to as “rednecks” or “hillbillies”. Then one day I decided I didn’t care about what people said anymore. If someone makes fun of you for loving to fish then ignore them! It’s as simple as that. In fact after admitting that I had a passion for fishing, I met many new people who enjoyed it as much as me. This then led to having a great group of friends taking me out fishing every night during the summer leading to memorable moments and wonderful times. So to all of the women fisherman out there: turn your love into a passion, learn as much information as possible, and don’t be ashamed for it!
4 thoughts on “Reel Passion?”
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Nice read! I understand you’re speaking from personal experience as a woman, but just about everything you said is great advice for everyone who enjoys, loves, or has a passion for fishing, not just women.
Great job!
Callie–
Great Post, and it applies to us ‘guys’ too. I loved to fish when I was much younger–chased bluegill and crappie, catfish and carp (always let the carp go, but loved to catch them). The same truth was held back in Indiana—if you hunted or fished or even camped outside, you were a ‘redneck’. The military, then college came about, then family and I didn’t pick up a rod/reel again until 6 years ago when my then seven year old daughter asked for a fishing pole for her birthday. I resolved not to get her a ‘barbie’ rod, so I started talking to the owner of the tackle store near where I lived in Hanover. I bought a decent spinning rod and reel for both her and her older brother and one for myself. At that point, I was hooked.
While I’m not as addicted as some (when the temps dip below about 45, I can’t stand being outside), I go out in the rain..fog..at night..whenever I can get away. I’m taking the next step (at 48) and pulling the trigger on a Kayak this spring. Why? because fishing from shore, unless you are fishing for catfish, trout, etc, you’re not going to be as productive—because you can’t get where the fish are.
Keep at it..never give up, never give in..
Even as a male, in high school I felt somewhat less than open about the, as you put it passion for fishing. What is funny is that by the end of high school some of the “cool” kids were asking me which farm ponds were worth sneaking onto at night for some good buzz bait action. On the whole women angler thing, I’ve seen two types, women fishing for husbands and women fishing for fish. My wife is the former, which is OK. She is pleased to have a quiet home on Sundays while I take the boys to the river. I’ve met relatively few of the later. One was a woman named Barbara. I was dragging my kayak out of the Potomac at Nolands Ferry, and she had just finished a wading trip. Before asking my name, she asked what I caught, what they hit, how far up I paddled, and wanted to see my tackle box. And it wasn’t code for some other meaning. She introduced me to the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, which opened up many doors to my development as an angler. Anyhow, it’s good to know there’s another Barbara out there.
Thanks for the great article. Although I came into the sport of fishing accidentally (as an adjunct to kayaking) it immediately became a passion, so much so that I recently started a blog…admittedly not the best time of year to start a fishing blog. I haven’t really advertised it yet but if you’d like to check it out here it is: http://finscalesandfeathersbyapennlassie.blogspot.com/
Again, great to hear from another lady fisherman