As a kid who grew up in one of Denmarks oldest harbors towns it is safe to say fishing has always been in my soul. The simple act of walking out in the sea with a fishing pole and stand there by yourself for hours. I can imagine this might sound like self-torture for many.
For me, it's absolute meditation.
Just standing there and doing the same repetitive task of throwing out the line, then pulling it back in. With 99.99% of the times, nothing else than that happens. Why is it I like it that much?
Is it some kind of genetic pleasure of hunting coming back from ancient times when fishing was probably one of the most reliable ways of surviving?
Or is it just because it is so soothing standing there at the edge of the sea, to listen to the waves, the birds and the wind. Just being with no other noise but what mother nature produces? Far away from Corona news, phones and what other human-made objects that were made to distract me from the beauty of this world.
Taking another life will always be brutal.
I will never get good at it. Maybe that is why I eat so little meat nowadays because I know just from fishing how much I pity the fish when I am about to cut its throat(Yes, I am a sensitive guy, alright?) and that is even knowing full well that at least this animal has had a free life and its pain is only here and now.
It's so brutal yet, it feels so natural. Does that make sense?
I rather eat the fish I killed with my own hands than any cow, chicken or even industrial caught fishes from the supermarket who all are polluting the world with pain and consumerism.
I know that my small act of taking a fishing pole and catch a fish that I will share with my family is harmless if not even helpful to nature. Catch what you need and nothing more. I like the fact my family has always tried to be a bit mindful of this. We only buy meat from a local farm that treats their animals amazingly as well as fishing and catching only what we know we can eat. Nothing goes to waste and no unnecessary pain added.
I guess fishing for me is just to retreat back to what feels right
Being in the present and just take it one throw at a time. Plenty of time to drift away in your own thoughts and decisions. Honestly, I think these kinds of repetitive tasks where I am forced just to be in my own thoughts are the ones I like the most. I guess that is also why I cycled around Europe.
Anyways, I think this little post got a bit drifted away. I just wanted to talk about my fishing trip but now it all got spoiled by me getting all philosophical instead.
Hope for those of you out there who are not by law locked in their homes take their extra time at hands to enjoy a bit the outdoors! It's certainly making all of this Corona crisis much more enjoyable for me.
Of course, don't forget to share your outdoors posts in our new hive community!
-holm
When I was in my early 20s, I randomly got on a Greyhound bus and went all the way from Austin Texas to Oaxaca Mexico because I was wanting to hang out with some chic that I met at a bar months earlier. haha.. The craziness of youth.
Well, I went down there with only my ticket and like $20 worth of Mexican money. I was originally supposed to stay for only 2 weeks, but it turned into two years. This village was so remote and old fashioned that they didn't even use fishing poles there.
The locals taught me how to fish with just some fishing line rolled up on a chunk of cork. You would unwind a bunch of fishing line and lay it on your shoulder, then walk about 10 feet into the ocean and toss the hook out there.. Then slowly walk backwards while pulling in the line and piling it on your shoulder.
It sounds crazy to me know when I think about it, but I would catch literally dozens of fish every time. I know what you mean by 'meditation'. It was incredibly focusing and relaxing. I remember getting into that zone, like there was nothing else in the world! I'd never trade the experiences I had down there. Too bad I'm too mature to do crazy stuff like that anymore.
damn I would love to live in some super remote village by the sea. Sounds like a story worth having in my life! :D Crazy dude!
Fishing always a good pleasure of your leisure time and when you decided to stay away from the city, have a good day.
Totally hear you on this one mate. As a little kid, I used to go fishing with my dad and loved it. But the older I was, the more I was realizing we were actually killing animals and I am preety sure I wouldn´t be able to do it anymore now (I am a sensitive guy too + dedicated nature lover and animal rights advocate so that´s obviously a no no for me). Right now, my favorite interaction with the underwater world is through snorkeling :) You can admire the incredible beauty of it without hurting it. I saw some truly fascinating things and creatures in the sea while living in the Caribbean.
Btw... talking about this topic... How is the situation with that brutal annual "festival" of mass killing dolphins in your homeland? Have they abolished it yet?
Mass killing dolphins?? Ij Denmark? LOL never heard of it in my life. Can you link it?
Really?! I think I even wrote a post about it when I was a staff writer years ago... Just put keywords like "Denmark, dolphins, killing, festival" in Google and you will get many links...
If you talk about the Faroe islands they are still doing it. It's an ancient tradition. I know it looks brutal though but honestly take one look at an commercial fishing and it's the same, probably even worse.
Not saying I'm supporting it, but I'm not really against it either in the greater perspective of things. It's not just mindless killing, it's food for their country. Reducing the need for importing food that just pollutes even more and from animals who probably had a tortured life.
I think there is the same "festival" held annually in Denmark too. I get you and you are right about those points but what I hate about this "festival" is that many locals view it as a kind of "cultural" and/or "fun" event. They go there with their kids to "enjoy" it, to watch the animals being slaughtered, to take photos with the bloodstained bodies... The "festival" is basically a celebration of killing animals and I think this is not a message future generations should get. Morevoer, dolphins (as well as most other cetaceans) are extremely intelligent and sensitive creatures capable of human-like emotions and it is just heartbraking for me to see anyone hurting them.
Btw, are you on Discord mate? I somehow messed up my Steem chat... I have some question for you.
I agree with you! But was not aware it happening in Denmark. Here's my discord: holm#6624
Cool, just sent you a friend request.