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I feel that respect for a fisherman should not necessarily be correlated to the amount or size of the fish he catches. For me, it is based on a combination of the angler's respect and understanding of the fish, the environment, and fellow anglers.
I respect the fisherman that fishes for the fishing, not the catching. The catching is merely a reward for the effort. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that I admire any googan out there with a reverence for the beach. The person must catch fish, but it is the attitude that turns the corner for me.
Fishing can be a meditative activity. Standing all alone waist deep in the water in the middle of the night is very akin to some of the mediation techniques of Taoist monks. We've all been there. We start out a little jittery, anxious, maybe even nervous. However, two hours later, you've completely retreated within your mind, calmed, and have developed a link with your immediate environment. You have become part of your surroundings, just another cog in nature. I respect the fisherman that understands that this brush of enlightenment is the true reward of fishing; the fish are merely a by-product of this quest. What is more, the fisherman that has mastered the concept has bought this mastery with years of practice. These experiences have yielded an intense repect and understanding of fishing which, in turn, leads the angler to great success in the sport. Therefore, the fisherman will catch very well in the end, but he knows that it is not the entire justification for doing so. That is the fisherman I respect.
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