Ten Hard Learned Lessons of Living Through the Eyes of a Fisherman

Lesson 10: It's All About Letting Go...

...Or Catch and Release Approach to Life and Death...

Don't know yet, still thinking about it.

Lesson 9: Landing The Fish and Holding It

Yes, it's there, right in front of you, The Fish of your life, so long dreamed about right in front of one's nose... Don't get too excited, it still has lots of energy and can run, get the net ready, and don't forget - head first (at least for the fish). And here it is The Bliss Happens. Hold it very gently (don't squeeze the life out of it, touch it, sniff it, rub it with your nose, kiss it if you want, take lots of pictures for the stories to be told by the fireplace to everyone who still loves you and patiently endured your obsession, and, if you're not hungry, guess what to do with this poor fish?

Lesson 8: Learn to Dance with The Fish

When The Fish pulls - let go or one risks to lose it, when the fish allows reel it in, gently. One has to adjust to The Fish and become a Dancer. One may need to run to a better place where one can fight the fish without losing it, because there is that mean log in the water and fish can run under it and break off, or The Fish may be just not in the mood to be landed, for it is afraid of the unknown. One has to learn The Dance (it would be too crude to call it a Battle, for fish, let's be honest here, has more chances of ending up on a frying pan). In life we call it negotiations phase and working with the moment...

Lesson 7: When The Fish took the hook - SET IT!

If you feel a little tap tap on the opposite end of your line (don't confuse with one's own), see all of your strike indicators, bobbers going mad, your heart pounding because it is he, she, it - JUST DO IT! Take an action, make a move, set the hook! Or fish will be gone before you know it, and may never return to the same place again. Even if you don't know what it is on the other end take the risk. The likelihood it's not a crocodile or Godzilla, because you already made lots of preparation and know where you fish, what you fish for and what kind of fish lives in the waters you fish.

Lesson 6: The Biggest Secret of Fishing: Commit to Thy Fish

One has to pay the price and without commitment one quits fishing even before fishing starts... The Fish may be not in the mood today (they have moods, men/women, bosses, clerks, park rangers), it may take a many mile walk to get to the fishing place far away from the SUV crowd, there may be blisters, mosquito attacks, rains, heat, cold, icy guides of your rod and frozen hands unable to tie a knot, and the Great Deceiver - The Dark Side of an Angler whispering in a sweet voice to stop this madness and go back home and cuddle in one's warm bed with a Teddy bear in it, watching a dream about fishing...

Lesson 5: Really Big Secret of Fishing: Fish where The Fish Are

Get out there ASAP!

You can't catch fish on the Moon, they don't live there, not all places on The River (including The River of Life) hold The Fish. Knowing the habits of your fish will help one to find where they live. Fish don't live in a dead water. They also make splashes and give other signs of their presence. If you're looking for a relationship, what kind of a person is it? Where they would be? (Gym, professional setting, bar). If one looks for a money making carrer, it's not going to happen by itself, learn it from successfull people. Whatever one wants to do, the good chance is someone is willing to teach, so learn from the pro's, that's the fastest way. How to find The Fish? It can be seen by it's shadow, movement, other signs like birds and such and, if one is very lucky, by a Splash. And what kind of a splash The Fish would make? Is it a loud splash? A quiet one? What form the splash can be in? Is it a book, video, presentation, workshop, webpage? How does it relate to the fish one is after? Then, get out to these waters before it's too late, otherwise one may find that one dreamed about fishing, day and night, learned a lot from the books, grew gray hair and arthritis, but never ventured to fish.

Lesson 4: Yet One Can Change One's Presentation...

... and make it irresistibly attractive to The Fish, or Fishes :). This means: Keep your Pole Ready, whether it is a Soul Pole, Heart Pole or any other pole - it has to be in its best condition. Your flies, worms, lures have to be in the boxes and in your bag. Your licences have to be up to date and displayed. Your hooks have to be shapr or fish, it may be The Fish and the only one chance to catch it, will be gone forever. Your resume package has to be up to date with all of your true achievements, your body has to be in its best physical shape to attract the right person, your Soul Pole has to be well informed to find the only right path for you among many existing, or if you fish for people, it's a good place to think of a book :), or get done something really stupid from ordinary view, like quit fishing, but just for small amount of time, in order to get new material, and resume when it's found, because when so long awaited time for bite comes, it is already too late to work on one's gear...

Lesson 3: One can't will The Fish to bite

It is still up to the fish to decide whether to take or not one's offering...

Even if one thinks they found their ideal fish (fitness system, relationship, career, etc), have done the best preparation possible, invested in it years of life, energy, time and other means, The Fish still makes its own choice and can say No at any time in it's very own Fishy Way... One has to learn to be optimistic and never lose The Hope.

Lesson 2: One can't catch The Fish if one is not fishing

One has to be at The River with one's Pole and actively using it.

No fish will bite the hook of the pole stored in a garage, no beautiful man/woman will come to your door (There is always an exception from any rule, for example it's a pizza delivery girl, beautiful firefighter when your house in flames, your landlord looking for you with a question about bounced check, or a postman/woman with a letter from your landlord, which may be the dream of your life too, nothing wrong with it), no career opportunities, no true anything or anyone will appear unless you seek them out and let them know about your offering... Be ready to pay the bill and to do the follow up. With more investment the chances are someone will open up the door just out of respect for your persistance. Just know what is it you can't live without, or will you live at all at some point... One's fly, lure, warm, fitness level, job skills, etc have to be the best of what is available in the given body of water (and not in your head) for the real interaction to happen...

Lesson 1: I AM, Therefore I Fish, or Know Thyself and Thy Fish and Neither

Know what one is fishing for and why one is doing it: whether it's a fish or anything else in life, lets call it The Fish: a Soul - continuous spiritual ascend-descend, relationship, career, perfection in art or craft, whole life, one can't get it, or become it, till one knows what and where that kind of fish lives, what its habits and most intimate likes and dislikes. This means reading lots of books, watching lots of videos, going through piles of material, selecting the best from it, which fits one the most, and giving it up for fishing. And for an unknown waters, where fishing is too complex or risky to figure out by oneself (you know, there are bears in Alaska, and crocodiles somewhere else...), and time is very precious (you've got only 3 days of vacation, or even a lifetime is short for the spiritual water/Fish), hiring a guide who fished these waters for years is a MUST DO! And please, please don't forget, not all of the guides are equal, some just read the books about fishing, have fished some time, but your experience with them will be a ripoff. But some have learned it on the river, perfected themselves to the level of art in both, fishing and guiding, and will love when you to learn the art of fishing more then the money they make from you - look hard for them, they are very rare!