I had long thought that fishing was reserved for the outdoorsy rednecks, the older fathers, the young children, and the grandpas with boats of the world. Then, one day, I had a sudden urge to go fishing. I was swamped with work and like bait on a hook, it pulled me in. Hook, line, and sinker, I dropped everything I had to do and I grabbed the old rusty fishing rod in my garage and walked to the pond near my house. The first cast had my line tangled. The next cast had my bait flying off. The next into a tree. I was out there for two hours trying to catch my first fish in years. I didn’t catch any fish, so as the sun set I walked back home. I was very upset so I threw my fishing rod into the corner of my garage to be forgotten with the webs that would take even Spiderman a long time to create. I went back to my work and felt a clarity. I was not sure what it was, but I didn’t feel any need to be on my phone. I was able to focus completely on my work. I got through what looked like 3 hours of work in about an hour and a half. It was magical. It was the power of bringing myself into another world and coming back with a rested brain.
Facing another long day of work, I ventured into the spider's den to retrieve the rod once again. It seemed like a bad idea, but I always procrastinate so the work would get done eventually I thought. The call to go fishing was not an escape from work but a function to clear my mind. The mental fog that builds during the day can only be navigated by an experienced angler until we find clear skies. I went back out, casting into trees, getting hooked and hoping I didn’t get tetanus, and, of course, not catching any fish. I went home, once again defeated from catching no fish, and was completely prepared to work. My mind felt as clear as the day you come back from vacation after lounging on the beach completely relaxed.
Why does fishing have this power? When you are out fishing, there is no need to worry about what is happening in your friend group. There is no need to worry about your school work. You become totally focused on catching a fish. In fact, the days you don’t catch anything are more calming than the days you catch a bunch. If the fish are jumping out of the water then you don’t have to be as focused. Fishing really is an escape from your laborious life filled with emails and meetings and assignments.
It is hard now to sit in a classroom when the weather is perfect. It is easy to get up at 7 am on a weekend for a long day out on a river, lake, pond, or sea. It is hard to sit on my phone if I can see a blue sky. It is easy to admire the colors of a brook trout.
Now, when I go home, if my mind feels foggy, I always make a stop at the pond by home or the Mianus River. It has become tradition.