Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Fishing And Philosophy - A Fishing Tale, No. 1

Many years ago as a young boy I discovered that life and fishing went together like apple and pie, like fish and chips, or even ginger and bread. In other words they blended together. What actually happened is that I associated the best things in life with fishing.

This was because my brother, my father and I spent two weeks every Easter fishing in the south of England. It was only us men - and how proud we were to be classed with the men while 8 and 9.

As we prepared our fishing tackle boxes, the flies, the rods, the waders and our anoraks - we boys became the fishing keepers, our father's gillies (Fishing Gilly - Scot and Irish usage for fishing guide and a bit more).

Forty odd years later I can still feel my father's gentle smile as he watched us.

These time were the best of times. We, at least my brother and I, hardly caught anything but we fished all day. We carried our fishing gear, our baskets, our picnic lunch, as we followed that man that was our hero. And when he saw us tiring and offered to carry our loads we always refused as pride gave us greater strength - and at night when we finally went to bed, we slept the sleep of babes.

Going out to the river every day for two weeks, walking out in the country - be it wet and be it cold - was a time when we felt absolutely at one with the world and with ourselves. And for little boys, that feeling of complacency with life is one that rarely came about.

In the evenings we sat together by the chimney and relived in part our day's experience. The coots and moorhens, the nesting king fisher (who became the symbol of our little band), the sheep in the field and the once only seen tracks of a fox. Our casts, our father's salmon - the sound of the river, the jokes and the waiting patiently for the rise of a trout.

These times became a treasured memory and the beginning of this series of articles where I will share some fishing tales (and yes some will grow longer in the telling) that I have learned to equate with what I call Fishing and Philosophy.

Fishing representing life and Philosophy "Love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline" as defined in the dictionary or as I prefer "Philosophy from the Greek philosophia, which literally translates to "love of wisdom".

Every evening we lived moments that with time I have learned were full of love and sharing and this is nothing else than wisdom.

As a grown man, with children of my own, I still feel inspired by the bonding our fishing trips created between us band of men.

Fathers, take heed and blend philosophy and life - preferably with fishing.

Philip Robinson, the author is happily married and a father of five. He has various on line projects and you can visit his latest website on fishing tackle boxes and fishing backpacks (as well as other fishing accessories). As someone with a large family he focuses on fun, creativity, making ends meet and all in a loving environment.

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