Before I shifted my focus to kayak fishing in my spare time, I enjoyed quite a bit of backpacking and hiking. Especially in backpacking, I found different hikers have different opinions on everything from internal vs. external frame packs, hiking in boots vs. trail-runners, ultra lightweight vs. ultimate preparation, tent vs. hammock, and countless other arguing points. Thus was born the mantra, "HYOH." A 20 year-old college kid's hiking trip is most likely going to look and feel different from a 40 year-old father of two with bad knees and sleep apnea's hiking trip. Not that I'd know anything about that. Aside from "LNT" (leave no trace), HYOH is probably the most ubiquitous saying in the hiking world.
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| Source: thetrek.co |
As I was pondering 2020's New Years resolutions, it hit me that HYOH is not just a hiking mantra. It applies to just about everything when you think about it. Aside from hiking, I briefly applied the philosophy to both parenting and fishing during my last episode. And I have one more thing I'll add at the end that it applies to...
Parenting
When it comes to parenting, it's about realizing how you and your co-parent gel together as a team to most effectively do your jobs as parents - then realizing the nuances of your children and how they respond to certain stimuli. Every parent, every couple, and every kid are different. Everyone has positive and negative things they remember from childhood and adolescence about the way their own parents raised them, and things they promised themselves they'd do differently. Aside from some core values that should go across the board, most parenting advice should be taken with a grain of salt. Realize that the family down the street is hiking a different hike than your family. Consider the advice and employ the version of it that makes you a happy parent and your kids better kids.
Fishing
I spoke very shortly and vaguely during The Cast about some things that happen in the fishing community. Fishing is one of the purest, most wholesome forms of entertainment on this earth. But there are a lot of people not happy with the hike some of their fellow anglers are hiking - some for valid reasons, but a lot of it is rather petty, and tarnishes the sport. Let's dive into a few points of contention.
1. Eating Your Catch - If an angler legally keeps and cleans his/her fish, let them eat, and don't skewer them on social media. Let them hike their hike. If you're a catch & release person, keep hiking the C&R hike. (Although I don't generally eat bass, I'm a fan of slot limits on them for those who do).
2. What Tournament Organization You're Fishing - This one has reared it's head in both the competitive bass boat and kayak world. There are a lot of options out there, and every one has their merits and drawbacks. Some trails have history and longevity, and some are like the shiny new car on the lot that you can't wait to test drive. Some trails have great leadership, and some have megalomaniacs running things. Some trails are expensive to enter, and some are more affordable. Some trails have better sponsors than others. Some trails forgive cheaters and somehow still expect anglers to trust the leadership. Some trails have multiple-day events, and some are single-day trails. Some are local level; some are national. Some require you to catch 5 bigs, and some require you to catch as many as you can. Some have fans, and some have empty parking lots. Some have livewells and some have clipboards. Some have wolves and some have sheep. Some kayak trails allow motors and some don't. Some organizations allow information-sharing among anglers, and some demand silence. Some people prefer to not fish tournaments at all, and that's OK. As an angler, you have to figure out what makes the most sense to YOU both in your head and heart, and tailor your time and resources as you see fit. Hike your own hike. Even if getting off the trail costs you $50k.
3. What Boat You're Using - This one gets silly. Just get on the water and fish, and follow the rules. Paddle, pedal, Torqeedo, 250 HP Mercury...whatever. Hike your own hike, help someone in trouble, and try not to judge.
4. Pro Staffs and Sponsorships - Unfortunately, there is some animosity out there toward anglers seeking to have a role on the business side of things, and use their business and marketing skills to leverage themselves into some financial success via fishing - especially in the kayak world. Simply put, the responsibility and privilege of representing companies is for some people and not for others, and that's OK. However, some companies out there cheapen the industry by putting everyone (and literally) their dog on pro staff. Hike that prostaff hike as long as it's not fake, and as long as there's a mutual benefit. (Predatory companies and sellout anglers are both easy to spot).
Politics
Specific discussion of Politics is off-limits on The Cast, so without things getting complicated, just know that HYOH applies. The people on the opposite side of the spectrum have reasons they believe are valid for why they vote the way they do.
"Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right." - Ricky Gervais
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I'll have more on my personal hike later. It involves striking a balance between family time and leisure.
Tight lines for now,
AM
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