Competitively speaking

Fishing is a fabulous pastime that allows us to escape all that's stressful and evil in our weekday lives.

Getting out in the open fresh air smelling the sea breeze is as cathartic as it is relaxing. For some the simple pleasure to wet a line is sufficient.

Then there's another breed of anglers who freely put the stress and anxiety back into the equation. These guys feed on the high-paced thrills and spills of everyday life and carry it through to their fishing. Fishing is no escape mechanism but another avenue to hone their competitive spirit. The people I'm referring to are competition anglers!

The competition scene locally is by no means the machine it is in the US but the trends seen there are certainly permeating onto our culture. You only have to look at the boats to see just how converted we are. Our speak is also changing, and using Americanisms like "crankbait" shows the trend is growing.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to fish with comp guru Tim "the bream" Morgan. I spent a day with him pre-fishing the Parramatta River for the ensuing ABT Bream Grand Final being held over the weekend. These guys are another breed altogether. I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea but I must admit I liked what I saw; the guys seemed to be real good knock-about blokes who love the thrill of the chase. It's infectious and it appealed to my competitive spirit.

I don't think I go out fishing recreationally with the boys without a friendly tally being kept anyway. Bragging rights only last as long as the next session till a new winner is crowned. This isn't so far removed from what the comp guys do, except they earn money and notoriety for their wins.
The good news for me is I have heard a bit of negative press about the bream comp guys overestimating their own self importance in the sport. Sure there might be a few bad eggs amongst them, but I can report first hand I didn't see anything that substantiated that rumour. In fact I saw guys showing respect to each other and generally having a good time. In the end, that's exactly what it's all about.

I would like to put it out there. Are competitions healthy for the sport or is it another conduit to show excess and give the detractors of our sport more ammo? I for one don't believe so.