Baseball, tis said, is America’s pastime but I think fishing is. Granted, you can’t fish everywhere since water is required. In that sense, it’s a specialized activity unlike baseball, needing only some ground to ensue. However, it is the greatest leveler of rank, race, and skill. With the rarest of exception, EVERY human can fish. Not every human can play baseball and some who do, shouldn’t.

Golf, tis said, is a metaphor for man’s eternal quest to succeed, but I think fishing is. Granted, no great angler is yet the envy of all man-kind, whereas golf spawns demigods. In that sense succeeding is humbler. However, landing a big one exceeds by far any fairway victory. By far. If this isn’t known to you, you haven’t landed one yet.

Football, tis said, is the peacetime battlefield of true warriors but I think fishing is. Granted, it is solo, slow, repetitious. The outcome depends not on who is better but who is lucky. True warriors know this to be true.