Thinking Of Fishing? It Might Be A Sport Not A Hobby!
The debate over if fishing can be considered a sport or not has been a long one. The answer to the question is a surprising one. Fishing is both a hobby and a sport, depending upon how you do it.
When you take up leisure fishing, it is a hobby, not a sport. Because in such a case, fishing doesn’t require a proper skill set to do it. Moreover, there is no competition in leisure fishing. You don’t lose if you don’t catch anything. There is no reward or trophy for catching a big fish, besides the joy of it. Lastly, leisure fishing is done for fun and not seriously.
But if you take up fishing seriously and in a manner that fulfils the dictionary definition of sports, then fishing becomes ones. The dictionary defines a sport as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.” This includes:
- Racing
- Baseball
- Tennis
- Golf
- Wrestling
- Boxing
- Hunting
- Fishing
Fishing Need Skill And Is Competitive
Fly fishing, and deep-sea fishing are some of the forms of fishing that require a certain level of skill. Angling, the most intense kind of fishing, necessitates even a higher amount of skill. Because it requires talent, it is considered as a sport.
Furthermore, there are many competitions and fishing tournaments that happen across the world throughout the year. The challenge is to either catch the biggest fish or the greatest number of them. Some of the tournaments are:
- tagging marlin
- catching bass
- mahi-mahi
There are associations, charters and fishing clubs based around these competitions where teams and individuals compete. At times the competition between boating teams is intense, but some are also friendly competitions. Irrespective of the type of competition, at the end the winning team or person gets awards, trophies, checks or bragging rights. This makes fishing a sport!
Fishing Needs Physical Strength
Even though fishing makes use of reels and rods, it takes a certain amount of strength to fish because at times you are fighting against a catch that is over 200 pounds! Called big game fishing, it takes muscle strength and prowess to overpower fishes that come in monster-size.
Sometimes it can take hours and hours to catch such a big game. Somewhat similar to the long games baseball and cricket players spend on the court. There are even instances and fishing techniques that catch game over 450 pounds. Therefore, fishing needs strength even more than that of athletes.
In short, fishing demands strength, skill, patience and a lot of practice. All the qualities any sport requires. This proves, without a doubt, that some fishing techniques can be considered as a proper sport!
