Well it’s winter… again. Why does that keep happening? As I write this I’m stewing in my own juices as they say. Literally because of a watermain break up the street. You never want a shower more than when you can’t get one. And figuratively too because winter can make one become insular. I don’t get to fish with my esteemed fishing colleagues enough at the best of times and in the winter that drops to zero for the most part. For me it’s not the actual fishing with people (usually I wander off on my own, even when on a trip with others). But it’s more the campground conversation about the fishing that gets me excited and reinvigorates the brain with new ideas and possibilities: ideas about new places to go , new things to try, old ideas to challenge… that sort of thing.
I’ve noticed that anglers seem to get a bit cranky in the winter. At least on the socials. The same philosophical arguments seem to heat up pitting one faction keyboard warriors against the other. The problem is we’re not fishing enough so we start to channel that energy into arguments… errr I mean discussions. It can happen to me too.
The Five Stages of the Angler
Please take this all with a grain of salt. Tone’s hard to convey on the interwebs and I’m not really that worked up, but I do think it’s worth thinking about just a little.
I’ve got a bee in my bonnet. This is what I’ve been thinking about: The Five Stages of the Angler. I believe this may have been taken from the hunting world originally but don’t quote me on that. The general idea is that there are five stages that the angler progresses through in their angling journey. You’ll see the stages given different names in different sources but the figure below gives a general idea of the concept.
Can we please get rid of this way of thinking?
My biggest problem with these “stages” is that I can’t see what purpose they serve. Why create a hierarchy? How does it serve you, others or the sport? Is it just so you can say “Hey look at me I’m stage 5 and aren’t you cute down there wallowing in stage 3.” ? A way for certain anglers to look down their noses patronizingly at other anglers? A way for one person to devalue another person’s pleasure activities. I just don’t see the benefit.
These stages are often spoken about as a progression. As if we become more “evolved” along the way. And that instantly rubbed me the wrong way when I heard it. Firstly it doesn’t allow for differences in personality and personal enjoyment. Furthermore if it’s a progression then being a “Stage 5” angler is just another feather in your cap and no different than any other stage in that way. Just a box to check. What’s the point in that?
Mainly, when looking at myself anyway. I just think it’s BS.
Now don’t get me wrong I have no problem with how anybody views their own angling. I actually love the idea that we practice tenkara differently and get different things out of tenkara. I just don’t personally think that the progression of stages and hierarchical way of thinking is all that helpful.
When I think of myself with respect to these stages, I see them more as fluid ideas predicated by mood, circumstance and natural predilection.
I think plenty of folks move from one category to another and back again in the course of a season, an extended trip or even in the course of the day. I know I do. And I’m not afraid who knows it.
When I first get out after a long spell off the water. Heck yeah that first fish is great! Get the scent of skunk off, get back in the groove. Then I’ll admit I want a few more to hand. And once that’s taken care of; Yes please, throw in a bigger fish (of course sadly this doesn’t happen that often for me). Then all of that taken care of the next day or the next part of the day I can relax a bit. Take some time to refine that stalking and sight fishing, or maybe become a temporary futsu kebari snob. Time to challenge myself and experiment a bit. But maybe the futsu aren’t doing it. And suddenly maybe I’m back to wanting to catch more fish… who knows.
I do know that the more frequently I get out the more likely I am to be happy “just to get out” or to spend time fishing in ways that our new to me or maybe less productive.
Speaking for myself at least, those latter stages are more available states of mind when I’ve had the luxury of more time on the water.
But honestly the attraction for me of fly fishing and tenkara angling is the satisfaction of learning new angling skills and knowledge. And generally the way to test out angling skill is to catch fish. So for that reason at least for now I see myself returning to the start of the “progression” over and over and only sitting legs-crossed in enlightenment at Stage 5, after a hectic scramble earlier that day or week fighting back and forth in the lower regions allotted to us heathens in stages 1 through 4.
To Paraphrase spoon boy from the matrix:
Do not try and advance through the stages, that’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth… there are no stages.
So get out there and have fun and don’t worry about what stage you’re at just be mindful and follow your joy.
If you want to read some other more “philosophical” articles of mine here’s a few to check out:
The Unsuspecting Minimalist and a Review of Sorts
Applying Restrictive Practice to Tenkara
Casting Around: A Good Day Unravels
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