Fishing for the Health of It
Anglers that cover water effectively and thoroughly are always in
motion and that's good for any body.
“A body at rest tends to stay at rest; a body in motion tends
to stay in motion.”
The longer the fishing day is the more fat you burn. Bank anglers
hike and wade. Boaters constantly have to jockey their boats around.
Depending on who's in the boat anglers will take turns navigating
rivers, coves, and inlets because it's a lot of hard work just to
keep the boat still enough, and quite, not to spook fish and make
good casting presentations at the same time.
If you’re living a sedentary lifestyle then fishing might be
the thing for you. You get to workout without all the hassle of going
to a gym; not to mention that it’s fun. If you do it just right
there is the added benefit of taking a fish or two home. Eating fish,
in general, lowers cholesterol, is high in protein, reduces the risk
of heart disease, and increases vascular performance. Reasonable amounts
of fish consumption may increase longevity adding years to any lifespan,
regardless of age.
“It’s an interesting fact that many authorities of fishing
almost never talk about the health benefits of angling. The physical
act of fishing increases the heart rate to a healthy pace, burns calories,
tones muscle, expels oxidants, tightens skin, and improves the cardiovascular
system increasing circulation for the entire body. Ultimately, time
spent fishing manifests itself as you become physically fit gaining
strength at the same time. The list of healthy reasons to go angling
goes on and on but one of the best reasons is to battle flailing fish
on the end of the line. The heart-pounding experience of a fighting
fish actually becomes a workout.
Angling for the health of it, overall, improves the quality of life
to anyone willing to dedicate him or herself to the craft. The fitness
of fishing creates energy which is perfect for doing just about anything
else beyond the scope of being in the great outdoors, and that means
Metropolitan anglers don’t have to travel far to experience the
same effect that someone fishing in the deep dark woods does. It all
works out the same. The action of angling, wading, boating, and fish-fights
combine all the elements necessary to burn off unwanted excess calories.
If you want to get fit and feel great then fishing is something that
should seriously be considered, and the fact that it's fun makes the
choice that much easier.
It’s possible to battle a flailing fish up to an hour at a
time, especially when using light line on large species. Many species
of fish will bolt too and fro when their hooked, and a wading angler
must bide time and counter thrashing fish by moving closer to the bank
or wading downstream in the hopes of coaxing the fish into some slower
water. As anglers “fish” they’re getting the same
kind of physical training found in many gyms. It’s an aerobic,
anaerobic, and strength endurance all on the same fishing trip.
I never feel guilty about missing a day on the gym when I know that
there’ll be a long day on the water.
Here two drift-fishermen drift the same body of water, though
the one on the right is busily battling a huge salmon on the end of
his line. Wading in river currents puts constant pressure on angler’s
legs, feet, and lower back. When a fish strikes wading anglers must
battle on two fronts: one to keep erect, without slipping on algae
covered rocks, as the fight progresses and then to carefully walk
to an area safe to land the catch.
© Timothy Kusherets, 2004/10
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