Goldies Make The Best Bait
Newcastle Herald
Monday April 2, 2007
HE SAID
IF there's one thing I've never been able to comprehend, it's the fascination and obsession so many people have with the sport of fishing. I use the term "sport" very loosely, because I think it's about as much of a sport as chess or pottery.I have even been out with friends in their dinghies and watched with fascination as they've sat, hour after hour, waiting for something to happen. It's like watching the test pattern on SBS, only much more labour intensive and not quite as satisfying.When something DOES eventually happen, they look at it, let out a loud "AAWW" and then toss it back in the water. When I want to have some piscatorial pleasure, I take myself off to the Fisherman's Co-Op and simply point and pay. No rods, no reels, no bait, no smelly hands, no filleting and no fuss. Just me and a jar of tartare sauce and I've got the perfect catch.I have lost count of the number of times I have sat around and listened to friends wax lyrical about the amazing weekend they had with only a can of worms and four cartons of amber nectar to keep them company and both of those were gone by nightfall on the first day!Maybe I just wasn't born or blessed with the "hunter-gatherer" gene, but no matter how hard I've tried over the years, the only Birds Eye view I want of a fish is the label on the packet I'm just about to open and throw in the oven.SHE SAIDIF you're male, married and aged over 45 you fit the profile of someone who participates in organised fishing in Australia, of which there are just 89,000 annually. If you're of no fixed age or gender, you're likely to be one of the 4.6 million Aussies who take part in recreational fishing each year, a multi-billion dollar leisure industry. It's the number one participation sport, but what is the attraction? Of course it's different for everyone; a relaxing way to while away a sunny afternoon, essential food source for those on limited income or a lesson in patience. But it's also the last large-scale hunter-gatherer relationship we have with wild food that is feasible for the average family. For instance, it's not possible to hunt down a lamb roast dinner for tonight in suburbia, but entirely practicable to dine on fish and chips you've caught yourself, so fishing is a win-win situation; both belly and primeval urge are sated.For women, fishing can be even more advantageous, teaching us about love, life and the ones that got away, because men are a lot like fish. There are obvious analogies to ex-boyfriends in sharks and slippery eels; but men, like fish, are easily spooked, and in order to hook the perfect catch require focus, effort and just the right lure.Some say fishing is boring, unless you catch an actual fish, and then it is disgusting. No. It's only unpleasant when you haven't got one of those men you caught earlier to do the yucky stuff.David and Tanya can be heard on KO-FM 102.9 from 5.30am to 9am Monday to Friday. Email davidandtanya@kofm.com.au.
© 2007 Newcastle Herald