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by Brian W. Hesje (Author)
In the 1950's as a boy my purpose for fishing was providing food for my family. In the 1960's my teen years focused on education and improving social skills, not necessarily in that order, so I didn't make time to fish. In the 1970's I was introduced to 'barbless' hooks. The barbs gave the fish less chance of escape and were more damaging to its mouth. I began to view fishing as a sport rather than a food source. In the 1980's it became more common for me to catch and release fish. In the 1990's I discovered that pictures and measurements, not the actual fish, were sent to the taxidermist. Conservation was now being discussed. In the 21st century, releasing fish, particularly large fish, became much more prevalent. Conservation and even 'tagging' fish before releasing them became part of my experience. Tagging fish enables very useful data to be collected to assist in research to preserve the species.
Fishing has given me much more than I have given fishing. I spent countless hours on or near water, surrounded by fresh air and the beauty of nature. I have had hours of interesting conversation with friends and acquaintances. I have had so much laughter that tears rolled down my cheeks. I have travelled from Edmonton, Alberta to parts of the world that I would never have visited. I gained an appreciation of the importance of the environment and conservation. I saw every tug on the line as a record catch. Maybe most of all, fishing gave me an opportunity to compete. Many people would not think of fishing as a competitive activity. My goal was to catch the record size fish or if not, the biggest fish in my group.
Growing up, I was my own guide. In my twenties and thirties, most of my fishing was self-guided, with my friends as the guides and I being the self. After turning 40, I fished almost exclusively with professional guides. I have categorized my fishing experiences by type of water. Lake, river, and ocean fishing are vastly different experiences, requiring different types of tackle, bait, mentality, skills, and preparation. Fishing has been a lifelong learning experience for me.
