What is it?
“Will that be the supersized combo?” Success in our modern culture is often framed by the twin deities of more and bigger. In spite of our druthers, we sometimes admire and envy folks with more and bigger vehicles, houses, off-shore bank accounts and so on, that characterise the accumulation of wealth and power in our post-modern world.
More and bigger fish caught also drives perceptions of expertise and highlights the thrill of success in fishing. Most skillful anglers enjoy some recognition of their demonstrated abilities to catch more and bigger fish. Apart from winning competitions, anglers are also justified in their quest for more and bigger fish because the bigger the fish, the more exciting it can be at the end of the line. Once bitten by the thrill of landing a truly big fish, few anglers can resist the temptation to repeat the experience.
Nevertheless, perils lurk in a fishing addiction focused on more and bigger. Anglers driven by such dreams will add many disappointing days to their fishing roster, as they fall short of these magical goals. Catching lots of big fish is seldom an everyday event. Anglers beholden to the twin gods, are more likely to experience their wrath than their benevolence.
The angler’s dilemma is about reconciling “more and bigger” with the other values of fishing. The desire to catch more and bigger fish is a valid aspiration. Hope in fishing comes with heady anticipation and “hands-on” thrills in a natural setting. But a fixation on more and bigger may diminish other worthy goals, like time spent on the water with family and friends, or the restorative value of contact with nature. The demand for more and bigger fish can exert tremendous pressure on competitive and recreational anglers alike, altering moods and behavior on the water. Since most anglers value all aspects of fishing but would still like to catch more and bigger fish, they may need to find a balance in how they spend their time fishing. In striking that balance, it might be useful to consider that pursuit of “more and bigger” is an elusive, moving target which in itself, is destined to be never enough.
Fishing through a learning lens is all about getting the most out of fishing without sacrificing any of the values. But it is also about making you a better angler. Putting learning first creates a more positive, productive context for realizing all of your fishing goals, including those needed to support the quest for more and bigger fish.
Doing the same things over again, making the same mistakes, going back to the same places and using the same lures and presentations most of the time are indications that learning is not taking place. There is an old cliché about insanity being defined as “doing the same thing over and over, while looking for a different outcome,” that seems to fit anglers trapped in the rotating void of a black fishing hole, looking for some way to break the gravitational inertia of ingrained habits.
The fishing learning lens casts a different, more positive light on how we define fishing success. Catching more and bigger fish is a big part of the thrill in angling and these two prominent aspirations will always preoccupy the minds of anglers. But learning offers the opportunity to incorporate “more and bigger” goals for fishing as part of an adaptive strategy, which would improve the abilities of anglers to produce more of these commodities, along with knowledge and other benefits and values of fishing. This win-win approach to learning and self-fulfillment through improving fishing success, will help anglers balance all aspects of their time with a fishing rod in hand.
Adaptive anglers are focused on learning. They determine what they would like to know before they leave the dock, usually as part of a personal, longer-term information-gathering (or research) agenda. They shape up the knowledge inquiry with questions that will guide their thinking during the day (learn how to set this up in the book). Since learning is the goal, there is never a “bad day” on the water. Each day brings a measure of success in moving the fishing yardsticks forward. There are no winners or losers in this fishing game.
Pressure to perform is legendary in competitive fishing. While this is the life-blood of competition, it sometimes seeps into relationships with families and friends, where it can become a corrosive influence. Some folks are naturally competitive, but others seek the simple, unencumbered pleasures of a relaxing and fulfilling day on the water. Most adaptive anglers keep competition in perspective with learning and other values. Their only competition may be in principle with themselves, as they seek to excel in fishing.
Putting learning ahead of all other goals and objectives in fishing builds a more solid foundation for expanding your fishing knowledge, as you learn more and are empowered to ramp up your fishing success. While more and bigger fish are always welcome, it is fishing knowledge over the long-run that creates real success and innovation. Without knowledge, anglers are adrift in the fog of ignorance, with no guiding light. Memories of great catches are most cherished in fishing, but those memories become much more meaningful when you put your own abilities in play to produce an outstanding result.
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