I going to come clean in this blog post, my name is Andrew Gordon and I have a fishing problem. Deep down I have known about this affliction for many years, age 5 to be exact but I have always tried to pass it off as a passion, a hobby or even a vocation. If you think you may have a similar affliction here are some warning signs
1) You cannot pass a body of water without wondering what species are in it. If you are in deep, you make a mental note of said body of water and google it as soon as you get home. If you are in an advanced state of fishing addiction you not only google the body of water, but you also head to the nearest fishing board to see if anyone has fished it
2) You spend more time in a fishing store than you do the grocery store. My personal issues are more exaggerated during the winter. I spend a lot of time watching and reading about fishing, any lure mentioned that I do not have or do not have in the right colour or size I need to get. You say I won’t be fishing the soft water for months, why now? Hey, take your logic somewhere else pal, I need that thingamabob today!
3) You watch more fishing video than you do regular TV or streaming. I mean sure I love Ted Lasso and the Walking Dead, but have you seen Lost Lakes Video on the Steel River? Lost Lakes YouTube I mean I gotta get into Wabakimi on a canoe trip, did you see the pike that the Northern Scavengers Crew got? Northern Scavengers YouTube. You say I have canoed twice in my life and never for more than 2 nights? See above and shove that logic up your keester dude!
4) You spend $1000's flying into remote area's to spend time in a cabin that was built a hundred years ago and if it didn't provide access to good fishing you would tear it apart on Trip Advisor (I mean if you went to Orlando or Niagara Falls and your room had no AC, water you can't drink and bunk beds would you be happy?) Not only that you are willing to drive many miles (or KM's for us Canadians) and hours to get to this shack in the woods. Man, you complain when it takes more that 15 minutes to get to the nearest Tim Hortons!
5) Even when you sleep you dream about fishing. Some of my dreams involve me catching huge fish, getting into remote lodges, or winning that bucket list fishing vacation but others are nightmares – a bear wakes me up in the cabin, the float plane crashes or worst of all I lose that 40-inch pike right at the boat
To fully understand the depth of your issues try rating yourself against the above signs. If you have 1 – 3, you’re on the verge but you can be saved. 3 – 5, you are in deep, contact your closest angler friends and get it off your chest, it will be a big relief. Personally, I feel much better having shared that with you. Acknowledging this issue has been healthy, wise. Note: I don’t really plan on doing anything with it – in fact I am even more committed to facing my issues head on by spending this winter focusing on trout fishing – both researching Spring trips and trying to get out on the ice. Some day I will think about moving to warmer climates where fishing all year round is a possibility!
Cheers
Andrew