Fishing is an incredible sport. It’s versatile enough to be as relaxing or as thrilling as the person fishing wants it to be, it takes hobbyists to beautiful natural spaces like rivers and oceans, and it offers paths to challenge and improvement that can continue to delight its most experienced sportsmen and sportswomen for decades. On top of all of this, fishing is a surprisingly easy sport and hobby to get involved in. Despite its many intricacies, long history, and diverse variations, fishing is, at its core, a simple act. You’ll need little more than a rod, a reel, a hook, and a good attitude to get started.
The absolute beginner’s starting point
Fishing doesn’t take a ton of know-how, but it makes sense to start your journey with a bit of learning. Consider taking a book on fishing out of your local library or watching some instructional videos on YouTube. You could also ask friends and family members who fish to give you some ideas on how to get started and what direction you might want to go as an angler.
With that said, you won’t need to much prep before you are ready for the first real step toward a lifetime of fishing: your first fishing trip. To go fishing, get your rod and reel, and don’t forget to get a fishing licence.
Fortunately, fishing licenses are cheap and easy to get. You can get a fishing license online or, in many cases, in hobby shops or even convenience stores. And you can buy a fishing license for just the day, so not much commitment is involved.
Using a fishing app or the advice of a fellow angler, find a decent fishing spot to drop your line in. As for equipment, you can buy, rent, or borrow basic equipment cheaply. Start with simple bait fishing; you can always get into fly fishing or deep-sea fishing later. Bait fishing won’t demand much of you as a first-timer. You’ll just need to know a few knots and a little bit of etiquette (don’t drop your line in too close to other anglers, please!).
Finding your passion
Once you’ve tried fishing a few times with a basic setup, you can start dreaming a little bigger. Will you get really into the sort of fishing that you’re already doing, or would you prefer to start fly fishing? Is a pond your favorite fishing spot, or do you want to rent a boat and get out on larger bodies of water?
There are tons of different types of fishing, from ice fishing to saltwater fishing. Fortunately, there are also tons of resources for learning more about these various types of fishing. As you become a part of the fishing community, you’re sure to make connections and find online resources that will make transitioning to one of these less basic types of fishing a whole lot easier.
Indulge your hobby
“Teach a man to fish,” the old saying goes, and he’ll eat for a lifetime. Fishermen and women know that learning to fish also gives a person a lifelong hobby. If only every day could be a fishing day.
If you find that you love fishing, then you should make time for it. Go on weekend trips and take time off of work to take all inclusive fishing vacations. Build fishing days and fishing boat trips into larger vacations, and find reasons to fish with friends and family members. Fishing is a healthy and wonderful hobby that gets you outdoors in the fresh air and encourages you to move around a bit (though, of course, how active you get may depend on what sort of fishing you’re doing — and how many beverages you bring). Fishing can be a wonderful and healthy part of your life, so learn it, love it, and indulge your passion for it.
