I have fished for as long as I can remember, and I have also snow skied for as long as I can remember. Skis on my feet feel as natural as a fishing rod does in my hand. I competed in moguls on an amateur level and instructed skiing at all levels for several years before fishing full-time. Fishing through the winter and early spring months then took precedence over the time needed to work at the ski mountain but I still enjoy them equally. In fact, I skied at one time so that I could fish, now I fish so that I could ski…..hmmm? I still ski with my family as often as possible, but have to do it in the gaps in my fishing tournament and promotion schedule.

Skiing and fishing are similar in many ways. Both are mostly international and individual sports. In both the elements and variables of the weather and nature play a big part ,but both can technically be done during all weather. Technology has made them both easier/ better and more accessible, and people generally do both for recreation…. but also enjoy many avenues of both sports’ many competitive entities and arenas. Both sports have experts, both also have posers with all the gear but no game. Skiing has radical ambassador Glenn Plake, and fishing has radical ambassador Ike. Both sports take a lot of practice to master, but in both… mastery is in the eye of the beholder. This is because ever-changing conditions and unpredictable forces of nature create many a humbling experience.  Therefore, confidence is a huge factor in both.

They are also different in many ways. Skiing is more so a yuppy sport in America while fishing is more so a bubba sport. Not in all cases of course… and I see this changing more and more. Ironically, fishing is the more yuppy sport in Europe and Asia. That is part of the reason why the attention to detail on much of the tackle and equipment from overseas is so high, and the prices are generally higher too. It is also ironic because fishing with the best equipment at the best places generally costs more than skiing with the best equipment at the best places. Last but not least, fishing is competing with a live animal, and skiing is competing against the mountain and its terrain.

A little history: My family and I recently went on an awesome ski trip to Jackson Hole WY. What a place! I had been there in the summer several times in years past but never skied there. I have skied some of the other more majestic places in this country like Crystal on Mt Ranier in Washington state, Heavenly and Squaw Valley around Lake Tahoe in NV and several of the large mountains/ski resorts in the upper Adirondacks of New York…..but Jackson Hole ranks up there with the best of them. It is on such a grand scale because its on the Grand Tetons of course, and the peak of about 10,400 feet rises out of the relatively flatter surrounding terrain, including a scenic national elk refuge and the Snake River near the base. To add to the overall appeal, the accommodations are exceptionally nice while keeping the rustic/outdoorsy feel of a winter wonderland. Powder like snow everywhere, deep blue western skies and great skiing for all levels.

So what does this mean? Well it means a lot of things to me. I guess I have mostly realized through the years and especially on my recent ski trip that you don’t need to “I-Touch” in order to “I-Feel”! There is not the same tactile feedback from experiencing nature that you would get from material gifts such as many of the electronic games, phones and/or accessories that we so much get caught up in while enjoying the current world’s information age. That stuff is important and beneficial in numerous ways, but it is important not to let it consume you. Sure, things like going fishing and skiing cost money too, but being in the company of those that share the liberating experience of nature on their day off sure outweighs the company of those who are just as satisfied with making it to the third board of Super Mario 472 or Call of Duty 19. I see it in the innocence of my 5 year old, and I see it in those who enighten their children with the outdoors the same. My son looked me right in eye on the ski lift and said, “This is the most awesomest trip ever!” Of course I brushed off his grammar, but I’ve noticed the same enthusiasm in most kids in ski lessons in the past. I have also noticed my own son say similar things when boating or fishing throughout the years right by our own house, or wherever.

This country and the world are smaller to me now than they were when I was younger, and I realize it is for many that do what I do for a living. I chose Jackson Hole as a place to vacation because it is the pinnacle of a winter wonderland Christmas vacation, and I knew of that choice because I have been fortunate to travel to a lot of great places. If or when you don’t know of that “grand” choice and the world you live in is much smaller like it is in the world of a child, then the local ski hill or pond/stream will likely get the same response of, “The Most Awesomest Trip Ever!” Take a kid out and enjoy the outdoors wherever and whenever, the memory will likely stick longer than the “Jelly of the Month Club” or TV on the couch! And furthermore, take yourself outdoors more often and somehow find the liberating experience my skiing and fishing equally give me. I am just as guilty of quickly forgetting that. It just takes a little reminder every so often and maybe a New Year’s resolution.

Happy New Year!….-dw

http://www.insideprobass.com/guest-bloggers/86-seeking-a-liberating-experience

Jackall is evidence of Japan’s legendary craftsmanship for which they have become known. But don’t take my word for it… the point of this article is to give the manufacturers a stripped down, no-bull chance to state their case — the case for why their products are worth your money.

http://fishstrong.com/cadillac-tackle-the-case-for-jackall/

The odd change/evolution continues, I also have become entrenched into the 80′s on 8, and occasionally the early 90′s stations. I have really come to appreciate an early 80′s Jams and Swatch Watch wearin’ masterpiece. I’m not sure when exactly this transformation took place, but “The Lyrical Jesse James”, ” Tow the Line” and “St. Elmo’s Fire” are some examples of enjoyable flashback lyrics for me. It’s always been in me, but now it has come to the forefront. I guess it’s the same as when my parents’ generation was all about listening to the Beatles because that’s what they grew up with.  Maybe because I associate the 80′s with the good times of skiing most days after school in the winter or hooking up the boat to go to the lake in the summer and bringing one spinning rod strapped down to the deck of my 16 ft aluminum shipwreck like a wanna-be bass pro….well…. I’m still a wanna-be patched-up vest wearing chode with a high-hat, but I do have a nicer boat now!

So what does Billy Ocean, Glenn Beck and the band Toto have in common? I have no friggin’ idea, but I can say this: Ivan Drago was a boxer but Ivan Putski was a wrestler, making Ivana Trump a Cold War spy that was at one time married to whom Patriot radio says may be the next president! Chew on that during your traditional 80′s Christmas feast listening to The Boss’s version of “Santa Claus is Comin to Town”!

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By ANDY WHITCOMB
November/December 2011

Before accepting responsibility for writing this column for a year, I warned the editors that while some people view the world through rose-colored glasses, I see things through polarized fish-seeking glasses. I even managed to write about fishing in the January/February Food & Drink issue.

Fishing is one of the oldest professions, and volumes have been written on the subject. How much more can be said about chasing little green fish? I wonder this myself sometimes but continue to add to the insanity, especially after a venture to our Stillwater pond with my kids.

Casting is an odd juxtaposition of the need to obtain sustenance and use an undeniably fun little toy. This horizontal yo-yo of sorts is designed to deliver and return lure sorties into hostile territory. Yet no matter how accurate the cast or how advanced the latest fishing technology and equipment, it all boils down to the mood of the fish.

You will never catch me on a roller coaster, but through fishing, I am a thrill-seeking junkie. I live vicariously as that lure—swimming, fluttering, and twitching back to the safety of the shore—until, wham! Suddenly, violently, I am consumed by an amazingly efficient predator lurking in the depths.

The fight is on. This is what many anglers enjoy: Testing their skill, patience, and tackle. Line strength is put to the limit with one’s ability to maintain a tight, but not too tight, line, on a bent, but not too bent, pole. And this is fun for me, too, but mostly, the magical moment has already occurred—that split second of a rush when the fish hits me, the lure, and the brief, fearful thought of, “Whoa! What have I gotten myself into?”

With a little cooperation from the fish, the sport has tremendous staying power. As my friend Melinda Tharp says, “Thirty minutes of time resulting in memories for a lifetime.”

How many activities can you say that about?

Fishing also provides a unique connection with a wild, unknown creature from a mysterious underwater world. Most of the time, with some careful catch-and-release practices, fish can be released unharmed, and the experience can be repeated and shared.

I once commented to my mother-in-law that someday I hoped to be completely “spooled” by a fish (when a fish is so large, strong, and fast that it peels away all the line on the reel and breaks away). Not an angler or even remotely of angling mindset, she suggested simply tying on less line.

No, no, no.

I love to catch fish, but strangely, it is a little disappointing that I have conquered the act. Although it is extremely frustrating to lose a fish, deep down, the loss is pleasing somehow. The “big one” is always supposed to get away. We need the big one always to be there for us. Even when we catch and release a fish, we hope that perhaps someday we may catch it again as a more worthy adversary. Not just larger but craftier. And that this time, it even beats us.

Fishing is close to being my philosophy of life, rather than merely a hobby that has gotten way out of hand. Many years ago, I recall reading this quote on a plaque:

“Fishing is a quest for what is elusive but attainable—a perpetual series of occasions for hope.”

Fishing promotes good old-fashioned responsibility and independence. Rather than create dependency, why not, as the saying goes, “Teach a man to fish”?

Go earn it. Go catch it. Without this incentive, this hope, there is no reason to improve or progress.

My wife and I are raising two little anglers. This is an activity that will be there for them if they choose, but it is also a philosophy we hope will empower them through whatever challenges they may face in life. We have taught them how to select a lure, tie a knot, and cast. We have shown them how to set the hook, play the fish, and hold, admire, and unhook it without injury to either party. I have bought them each a rod and reel, a tackle box with all the fixings, and a pair of long-nosed pliers.

And as their confidence continues to grow, I will move a little farther away down the bank of the pond.