Keeping perspective

[schoolie monster]

This post has no informational value, I'm just having one of those moments of clarity as I sit here configuring twenty boring computers. LAN access, mainframe access, mail, MS Office, internet... boring.

My sunburnt face and arms testify that my couple hours out turned into about seven hours yesterday morning. I got a bit obsessive and couldn't make myself go home... luckily, my wife is very tolerant of my fishing excursions and even joins me from time to time when she's in the mood to put up with me. I got skunked both days this past weekend and I was stinging from that drubbing and just had to have some fish...just had to have 'em... you all know what I'm talking about.

In my pre-21 year old days, we used to drink at a local bowling alley and knock down pins all night while we got hammered... real bowling, with big balls, not that sissy duck pin or candle pin bowling you have up here in Mass. Anyway, one of my buddy's wasn't allowed back in his house by his dad unless he bowled at least a 100... he wasn't a good bowler.

Well, my point is that I sometimes take that mentality fishing and won't leave till I catch a fish. Things weren't that bad yesterday as I had moderate action at my favorite schoolie spot. I caught a few small fish and had enough chasers and blow-ups to keep me interested. But I had this odd feeling that I couldn't leave, that I'd miss something, that maybe a big fish was out there for me... dead serious, I really had that feeling...

As the tide drained and the water got shallower, I waded off the bank and out onto the flats as I have been doing this year with good success. I was tossing a weightless laser eye minnow and hooked up to a decent schoolie after a couple minutes. I thought about leaving on a caught fish. I knew I was fried and I had a couple friends coming over for a little Independence Day cook-out, but I couldn't leave... Everytime I thought the fish were done, a fish would blow up on my lure... they wouldn't take it and that made it even tougher. After a while, I would have probably left after catching one... but they were "tasking" me, so I kept going.

Finally, I had a take about 10 feet in front of me and I set the hook... the fish came up and wallowed at the top, drenching me with water. It was a nice fish... probably close to 36"... a really nice fish for this spot and a really nice fish on a 7' rod with 8lb. test wading in skinny water. The fish took off down current, peeled some drag, then switched directions heading upstream... just like that, he came unbuttoned and the lure flew over my head and he was off on his merry way.

My head almost popped off and I started screaming and cussing, I slammed my rod tip into the water and I almost chucked it out to sea. John can atest to the fact that I can lose patience from time to time. I had to give up golf 'cause sometimes my pitching wedge would desert me and I would in turn wrap the f'n thing around a tree.

After my tirade, I just started laughing... laughing at myself for being an idiot and laughing at myself for taking things so seriously. If anyone would have seen this, they would have called the looney bin 'cause whether it was too much sun, or not enough fish, I was insane for a few minutes. Though, I'm much better now.

Fishing is funny... a day with 2 fish can be as great as a day with 50 fish, at least in my opinion. I had the best time in March when I fished the florida flats for redfish. I only caught two reds, a small snook, and various other lesser species... but I enjoyed that as much or more than a day in Cotuit when I caught 35-40 bluefish. Its all in your perspective.

I think sometimes we take it too seriously, and sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. I think after a few bad outings, I forgot why I fish... TO HAVE FUN! Not to have a stroke, though when I pass on in 50 years or so, I hope to god I'm fishing. I would have loved to see my tantrum and the look on my face... no doubt I would've called that guy a dumb@ss and laughed at him... then moved down the beach, probably thinking the guy was a homicidal lunatic.

Others here have offered similar stories with similar morals, but I was just sittin' here thinking and thought that it was pretty funny.

Hope all had a good 4th and hey, tomorrow's FRIDAY!