How to Say "Gone Fishing"

If you fish, you've always got a reason to be outdoors. You can take a lunch and picnic as you fish. You can camp near a lake. You can hike or take a canoe or boat to a fishing spot. Many people build their vacations around fishing, I do! And be sure to take your family or your friends along, for there is no more sociable activity. Look at the picture above - just imagine the fun and stories this family will have for the rest of their lives!

Fishing gets you involved with nature. There's neat stuff to pick at and play with along the bank and in the water. Hawks and eagles soar overhead, turtles bask, and frogs hop. You'll see polliwogs, crayfish, killdeer and, of course, those shiny, wriggling fish that you lure from the deep.

Over 91.3 million American’s go fishing. Some of them fish for sport or relaxation; others fish only for food. But the majority of anglers reap all the benefits of fishing. They spend quality time on the water and then return home to a satisfying meal of sizzled or grilled fish that they have caught themselves.

More people would like to fish. I get countless requests for information from urban folks, rural folks, single mothers, single dads and busy executives. I hear from people who are about to retire or who have already retired and want to do something that is inexpensive and fun with their grandkids. Lots of people want to fish, but the problem is they don't know how.

To hear fishing professional or an experienced angler talk about structure, patterning, down-rigging, flipping, planer boards, crankbaits, jerkbaits and jigs, you would conclude that fishing is an incredibly complex pastime.

It doesn't have to be. One of the joys of fishing is that it can be fun and productive at any skill level. You can complicate the sport with jargon and sophisticated equipment - and you may want this as you keep getting better at fishing - but the whole sport can be pared down to some basic equipment and techniques.

How to Say "Gone Fishing" will show you the basics of fishing. It would take many volumes to introduce you to all the species of fish, all the methods and all the lures, and with so much information at once you would be overwhelmed.

Instead, in the membership section, I want to be your guide for your first few fishing trips. Let me take you hand-in hand - like your uncle, parent or grandparent - to the water and patiently teach you how to catch some fish. I know that once you start fishing, you'll quickly learn to love the sport.