Fishing with Pappy page 2

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From the Mail Bag sent in from our reader This one is from Josh K, from Tampa Bay. He writes, "Dear Pappy, Why I Fish Fishing is a messy business, stinky too. And you have to know a bunch of stuff. Then there's the all the gear and associated fishing stuff... and the stuff to carry the fishing stuff...I actually have a cart for carrying another cart over sand, because the other cart sucks at sand, but is great at carrying all the fishing stuff. Expensive. So why fish? I can't answer that question for everyone, but i can provide a few different perspectives. People like to eat fresh fish Some folks fish just to catch fish and eat 'em, period. Some don't care how they do it, what they use, or what they pull in... if it swims in water, and can't be used to catch a bigger fish, they gonna eat it. Not my personal gig, but my ultimate goal is certainly to catch a tasty game fish of legal size and permission (some fish you can't keep at all depending on seasonal restrictions) and kill it real good. Note: If one has moral issues with the phrasing, or even the act of fishing at all, i understand. there is a certain level of moral ambiguity one must adopt in order to kill any living thing, even something as low on the food chain as fish (in my opinion fish are maybe one step above insects on the scale of, "should we really give a shit about killing a few of these?"). And there are levels of cruelty as well. Fishing with live bait requires one to spear a living thing in a manner to keep it alive as long as possible, then serve it up to a large scary predator, and keep using it as long as it continues to function. This is a cruel act, if you care about shrimp. or minnows, or pinfish. i get it, and don't disagree. In this endeavor, i choose to be cruel. People like to catch fish I know of some folks that claim to love fishing, but end up gravely disappointed if they don't catch anything, to the point of feeling it a waste of time. My buddy John calls a zero catch day the Skunky Monkey, or getting 'skunked' for short. Not really a whole lot fun to fish with folks like that, (which in no way refers to my friend, as we have a mutual aquaintence who is often the subject of this topic) always wanting to change spots without giving them a chance, sucking up all the good Zen vibes, complaining all the while. Makes me sad to see anyone go home without at least one fish landed, but especially for folks whose enjoyment hinges on success. Zen I don't meditate. I've tried and achieved sleep, nausea, vertigo, ants in the pants, hyper focus on other meditators, etc.... always fail, except when i fish. Watching my line and feeling every vibration from it's length, picturing what it might look like underwater, the hope and possibility of latching on to something unknown and undiscovered, this is why i fish. Feeling the wind's fickle touch, the sun's imposing dominance, the shade's chill embrace, all whilst being almost out of body, these things are unmatched in my experience. And when the meditative reverie is broken by a subtle difference in the line and rod tip, a staccato pattern of disturbance, in basketball they it transition, going from defense to offense. In fishing, they call it, first, "shhhhhh," then, if all the powers and planets and universal tenets allow, "FISH ON!!" The transition from meditation to catching a fish is surreal, like seeing the roulette ball land on your number, or your team's last second touchdown to win the contest. It is exhilarating. It doesn't end there, as one must now fight the fish, try to identify it by it's weight and active struggle, and try to land the critter. the anticipation of finding out if you've caught something to write home about or something that just wasted a perfectly good shrimp is the cherry on top of the Zen sundae. Once you've complete this cycle of absolute spiritualism, you get to do it again, and again, and again. I love fishing."	Two Storms Wreak Havoc Since the pair of storms hit us here in Tampa Bay a while back, Helene and Milton they were called i think, shoreline fishing has changed for us, and I've mentioned before that Pappy does a lot of fishing from piers and sea-walls and such places, and some of my daughter and my most favorite spots were damaged horribly, many beyond hope of repair and restoration. Fewer and fewer good shoreline fishing spots are viable and/or accessible these days, but several still remain, so my belief is to be grateful for even a single spot and a single moment to be fishing, and being given any choices is, by many, considered a gift of higher powers. After the storms, i think it was a month before we found a place to fish that didn't have a sailboat on it's side. Some of those sailboats are still where the storm threw them. Guessin' it costs a pretty penny to clean up maritime messes, and money ain't cheap. That's what I hear, anyway. Melly and I used to frequent a spot called Traindude Park, until one of those two storms hurled an aforementioned sailboat into a walkway to the awesome fishing pier. Pier still stands, but you have to walk a good long way to get there by a second walkway, untouched by the storms. Thank goodness. Another spot of ours, by the bridge along Sandsound Causeway, was intact but no one was allowed to drive on the whole length, and no fishing either. it was a mess. When the flood waters finally receded I had heard tales of Sheepsheads flopping about on folks' front yards. That's pretty good eatin' to find in your yard. Of course, kinda difficult to see the silver lining when your house got washed out, and all your useless wet stuff is in a giant pile of debris by the street. We were a little too used to being missed by the big storms, I think, and weathering the ones that did hit, taking it a little too casually. I imagine it will be different for some folks on the next go around. Even where I live, in my neighborhood, which only has one retention pond in close proximity, at the low elevations people had to be rescued by boat. I'm bettin' they're gonna hightail it outta there next time, good and early. That would be the smart thing to do, pack up your shit and get while the gettin's good, so they say. Gas up your vehicle and get to high ground. Hurricane Party One of the requisite considerations of living here in Florida is elevation. Place is flat as Cap'n Will's head, so if you're not of a mind to live like royalty on the shoreline, it's good to have a few dozen feet beneath ya when the water starts to rise. My house was at 70 feet above sea level once upon a time, and all the folks we knew that had to evacuate by necessity or by choice came over when the winds and rain got to swirling, for a hurricane party. They brought food, candles, batteries, alcohol, and crops. All the staples to survive a power outage. Only thing missing was someone to play the guitar or piano, and that's where Pappy come in. I can't play a piano worth a diner napkin, but i can beat up on a wood box with strings on it, not great, but good enough to get a foot tappin', so i earned my keep by being the guy at the campfire with the guitar. That guy always annoyed me, if I'm being frank. Now i am that guy. embarrassing.
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