Expectation
August 2, 2001
So, what is it about fishing that you like so much?
It’s a question I often get from people who don’t fish much. They usually say they tied it once when they were kids….it was too hot outside, the fishing sucked and they got 20 mosquito bites. Way too boring! A lot of times, I don’t even bother trying to explain — they wouldn’t get it anyway. This is a sport that people relate to in so many ways and it means something a little different to all of us. For me, I think the key element is expectation.
It’s all about that nervous, edgy feeling you get the night before a big trip. You stay up late to check all you gear a hundred times and when you finally hit the sack, you mind won’t shut up. It steams, 90 m.p.h., through visions of the bruisers you hope to encounter the next day. It’s that kid-on-Christmas morning feeling you get when the alarm goes off after a sleepless night. Finally.
The expectation gets even greater as you near your destination. Will there be any other cars there? Will you have the good fortune of having the hallowed “first water?” There’s that twinge you get in your belly as you make the last turn and pull off the highway and head down towards the water.
First ones here!
The anticipation swells as you get to the spot, and with trembling fingers, tie your hook on. As the first cast of the day arcs high into the pink glow of dawn, the feeling grows even more intense. You start your retrieve and each revolution of the reel handle compounds your buzz. You envision your lure somewhere out there in the depths, wiggling, vibrating, attracting. In your mind’s eye, you see a huge, dark shape closing in on it from behind. But, he doesn’t bite and you cast again. And again. And again. Each time, you imagine that behemoth plowing into your lure like a train running into a stalled car on the tracks. But reality doesn’t seem to agree with your script and the fish stays away. Each cast brings with it a little more urgency. You want that first fish so damn bad.
When he finally does hit, your nerves settle down and you feel more relaxed. You go about the business of bringing the fish in, but you can feel that he’s a big one and suddenly you’re a mess again. Your knees are knocking and your nerves are jumping around in your stomach like lotto balls in a hopper.
Please, God, at least let me see this big dude before he gets away…
The urgency to see how big the fish really is overcomes you and you start to do stupid things. You start to horse the rod a bit too much, you crank down on the drag more than necessary. Okay, pal, take it easy. Just relax. Breathe. Don’t force the issue. Let him run. It feels like your insides are going to explode as you work the great fish closer. You eyes are focused on the spot at which the your taught line disappears into the dark depths. Then, finally, a silvery flash under the boat shows you that he’s almost in. That’s when your expectancy hits its zenith.
Net ‘em! Net that monster!
You wait a long…I mean a loooong 30 seconds for your buddy to untangle the net and slide it under your prize. With the beast securely aboard, you finally come down. You relax and chill out a bit and it’s almost like having a fishing hangover. You feel a little depressed, but then you start thinking about the next cast, the next fish, the next trip and that great feeling of expectation starts to build again. And you enjoy every savory drop of it.
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