You'll Know You're At A Fishing Seminar When....

Not long ago I decided I needed more interests in my life, that I needed a new avocation.  Learning something new is said to prolong brain health, and it's likely I could make a new friend or two in the process.  For some unknown reason, I decided to try learning to fish.  As it happens I live around all kinds of water.  There are lagoons, creeks, inlets, marshes, sounds, an ocean and an intracoastal waterway.  In fact, I can see people fishing out my kitchen window.  Usually, they appear to be enjoying themselves.  They are in the great outdoors, often they are conscious of environmental concerns.  They think about maintaining the health of the fisheries.  They help with research and practice "catch and release," etc.

Fishing is an activity that can be enjoyed with friends or in solitude.  It doesn't look expensive.  Although, it apparently can vary, depending upon how involved you want to get.  I'm finding it a bit awkward, learning to fish.  There doesn't appear to be a school you can attend, and I don't think any of my friends are or have been avid fishermen.  I went on a fishing charter last summer, but the captain and the mate did all the work and just handed us the rod and reel with the tackle and the bait already properly applied or whatever.  

The good news is I'm gaining some traction.  My son gave me a rod and reel for Christmas.  It's still in the closet but I'll be taking it out soon.  I purchased a copy of Fishing for Dummies, and have read five or six chapters.  Today, I attended a fishing seminar.  Which led to the following discoveries:
You know you're at a fishing seminar when...

• the door prizes aren't books, CD's and DVD's about the subject, but tackle boxes. hand made lures and rigs.
• the titles of the presenters are not M.D.'s and PhD's, but Capt.'s.
• participants buy towing insurance, not from AAA but Sea-Tow.
• the destination you enter into your GPS is not a street, city and state, but latitude and longitude of the best artificial reef in the area for catching Redfish.  
• maintaining self-control and balance is not anger management, but anchor management, and
• the pointer used in the slide presentations is a fishing rod.