Quit Worrying About the One That Got Away

All of my fellow thirsty fishermen out there know the story well… You’re sittin’ on the bank, just about to doze off, or maybe you’re in a heated argument with your fellow fishermen about which is better: stink bait or livers. Then all of a sudden the tip of your rod starts violently jerking towards the water, resembling an angry goose pecking into the air.

The fight is on and your heart starts pumping! There is nothing more exhilarating than gettin’ a big ‘un on the line. Playing and landing a fish is a fine art, unless you are a bass fisherman with 100 pound braided line, powered wench, and a telephone pole for a rod. (I can say this because I am a closet bass fisherman!)

You do your best not to reel too hard, which will surely cause this whale to snap your line. Yet you are dying to see what your next wall mount will look like. It’s a fine balance and patience is definitely a virtue well used in these types of situations.

All of a sudden there is a “snap” and a frayed end of line comes sailing back to you in the wind, settling around your hat like a halo. “Well, shucks!” you say. What could have been a state record, or at least a year’s worth of bragging rights with the boys down at the coffee shop, is now gone.

This happens often and it is easy for us anglers to immortalize that fish, creating stories of legend. One must be careful, as this thinking can be unproductive and even detrimental to your success… Yes there are lessons to be learned, but that fish isn't worth obsessing over. The important thing is that you were out fishing. So now the only thing to do is get back out there, get your line on that water, forget about the one that got away, and go catch the next big one!