Golfing vs. Fishing

Spent a couple of days "camping in the mountains" this weekend, visiting with Stef's family. They used to camp, like with tents and trailers and campfires, but since they started cruising, they like to take it easier. Now, camping consists of renting the cabins at Manning Park. Which suits me just fine - too much non-salted air makes me sneeze. Lightening Lake is nearby, and they have a canoe, so I spent a fortune on a 1 day license, and borrowed some gear, and tried to rekindle an old flame.

I used to fish a lot. Every other day I could be found fishing backwashes, creeks, and streams around Chilliwack. Since moving to the city, and then to White Rock, I don't fish anymore; but now, I golf. Not really. I have only golfed 3 or 4 times in the last couple of years, and not much more before that, but I wanted to make a comparison.

Mark Twain said that golf is a good walk spoiled. Someone else said, "I'd rather chase a little white ball than nothing at all". P.J. O'Rourke said that golf combines two favorite American pastimes: taking long walks and hitting things with a stick. A perfect day of golf is about 4-6 hours of walking around a green field (or riding if you are lucky), getting a sunburn, and learning a few new words that hopefully will somehow affect the distance or direction of your badly placed ball. Golf can be costly - clubs, bags, shoes, beer, balls, carts rentals, green fees - it can add up.

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. They call it fishing for a reason - not catching. My trip was not a complete waste of time - I learned some new knots, got a good tan, lots of exercise from paddling the canoe, and I figured out some new words combinations to use for cussing! And, I caught a fish or two. Actually, I caught about 10, but Lightening Lake is a stocked trout lake, and they stock them young. Despite the fact that there is no size limit, what the heck am I gonna do with a 4 inch fish? Fishing cost money, too. Rods, gear, licenses, boats, driving, fines for fishing in the wrong place, beer, fines for drinking beer in the wrong place...

So, which do I prefer? Honestly, neither - I would much rather have a bad day at work.
JUST KIDDING!
Really, it depends on who I am with. I think fishing, overall.

So, until next time, gone fishin'