THE PATIENT

Fishing is mainly a distraction to which joins a passion for nature the river and its fish. The unique ambience of the river and its surroundings, the search and capture of fish who lives in it, the rumor of the current, the wald along the paths along the banks make the exit fish in a very pleasant walk, a passionate search the courtship feeding trout to try to capture. It is a wonderful adventure that can be repeated many times and in different rivers, regions and even countries; this is already only exciting and makes our imagination fly to all these places even without having ever visited. Fishing makes us constantly travel and meet other anglers and people who interact directly with our fishing trip, this is wonderful and fills our spirit of a super power. More needs to be repeated because it is good because it frees the mind from everyday problems, stress and our body seeks continuous exercise.

One comes home busted but with a clear mind and peace of mind unsuspected by the layman in fly fishing.

All this is very well and is highly recommended for everyone who likes sports and outdoor life, whether fishing, hunting, mushroom picking, photography, hiking and etc …
The problem with this is when it becomes an obsession and put aside everything else doing that fishing is the only thing in our lives for which we fight. This is a very serious mistake because eventually it becomes a real disease that causes the individual to focus solely on fishing and that his life only makes sense if fishing constantly no matter anything else.

Years ago I met a fisherman for trout and salmon which already at that time had an inordinate fondness. The man had traveled all over the world all existing salmonid fishing, constantly traveling to Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Canada and had traveled throughout Europe fishing. This in principle may seem wonderful and indeed it is, but eventually this fisherman had been a prisoner of his own fans turning it into an unhealthy obsession.

Thus this man sold his thriving business in the city to devote himself only to fish, divorced and met another woman who saw only occasionally between his constant fishing trips. He also forgot their children to see it stopped because he had ceased to matter, because in his mind could only fish.

When I saw this year was quite changed. It was only concerned to fish as many trout in the car and brought a veritable arsenal of rods, reels and flies in the trunk and the back seat.

Speaking gnashed his teeth, his gaze was lost in a netherworld of man did not want to leave, but the worst or at least I think, is that he knows who is imprisoned in it. It was several days until he got fishing, according to him, fish he wanted and then left to go fishing to another region and other rivers. When he came here and also came two weeks fishing somewhere. He said that each month earmarked a staggering amount of money to fish and to finance all trips and outings and winter fishing continued elsewhere.

Then I ?, I asked … what about your children and your wife ?.

He did not care, money was only for him and his fishing. He fished almost exclusively and had no friends because he did not treat as well.
What surprised me most of all is that besides not care about anything but himself and his fishing had completely lost sight of the river and its environment. He is watching him with the sole intention of knowing how to take advantage of it, not wanting to see anything else. We watched a deer drinking at the shore and drove him away because he said it bothered him fishing. At the end of the day he said he had carefully calculated the money needed to keep fishing while he lived and that was all that mattered. I thought that disaster. Without family or friends and only with this obsession I do not know how it will all end. In a way I felt sorry but then thought it was a toxic individual and company little or nothing recommended for anyone.

Fishing and hunting and any passionate hobby in life can greatly contribute to personal fulfillment and provide a lot of excitement and healthy satisfactions but the danger is letting it become the only meaning of our life, an unhealthy obsession us away from the reality that makes us totally lose perspective of our own life ignoring our loved ones, friendship, love and our own work, forgetting everything around us and is vital to be ourselves.

“Life is what happens on our side when we are doing other things”

~Carles V.