Sunday, October 21, 2007

This Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing

Yesterday, DH and I, along with FIL and his new wife, participated in a fishing tournament. Let me premise this with some background about me.

Now, anyone who knows me well knows I am not exactly a sportsman (or -woman). I am as close to a girly girl as you can get. I like high heels and feminine clothes with ruffles, bows, flowers and/or lace. Pink is my favorite color. In high school, I didn't play sports. I was in the colorguard. I don't really like to get dirty. I'm a city girl and there are just certain things I need - a bathroom with toilet paper, soap, a toothbrush, a little makeup (at least some powder), a hairdryer, etc. I can deal with camping and hiking for a short trip away from my usual life but it isn't usually my first choice activity. My ideal camping trip equals a nice lodge where I don't have to dig a hole to do #2 and I can sleep in a bed as opposed to a lump of dirt and grass. My ideal hiking adventure involves a group with a tour guide among Hawaiian waterfalls. My hubby is a bit more rugged so there are times when I suck it up and get dirty to show I am game. And not to rain on the parade by being prissy. Yesterday was one of those days.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've been fishing. I really am a novice in that department. My three companions are all pretty intermediate or expert. So, I wasn't expecting to do well at all. As a matter of fact, I was fully prepared to look like an ass while everyone around me brought in huge bass or perch. The weather was against us with lots of much-needed rain the day before so we knew fish would be scarce. Even more of an obstacle, I thought.

I tried for over an hour with a lure and I was getting nada. So, I decided to put a piece of beef jerky on the line and see what happened. Wouldn't you know I caught 5 catfish?! 2 of them were so big that I had to have DH help me reel them in. And you probably wouldn't believe this but those wound up being the only fish we caught that day. No one else caught anything. Me - the little girly amateur - made the only catches of the day. Our largest catfish tipped the scales at 2 lbs, 6 ounces so, obviously, we didn't win the tournament. But still, I was quite proud of myself. I shouldn't underestimate myself next time I'm out of my element. I may just surprise myself. I didn't win an award but I did win some pride.

Another reason I don't particularly like fishing is that I feel bad after I catch something. I see the fish flapping around on the dock with a hook in its mouth and I just want to cry. The poor fish only wanted some breakfast. And BAM - next thing he knows, he's being drug out of the water by his lip. I just feel AWFUL. I always let them go immediately. But for the competition, we had to keep it in order to weigh it in. So, I made DH put a bunch of river water in our cooler to keep the fish alive until we could make it to the town dock to let him go. I checked on the fish repeatedly to make sure it was still breathing and talked to him to let him know I wasn't going to hurt him. DH called me a "bleeding heart". So, I guess this will go down in history as The Bleeding Heart Fishing Expedition. I don't know how men can go hunting and shoot deer or other wild animals. I just couldn't do it. I'd be a mess.

We now return to your regularly scheduled programming...I am officially 4dpo today. We got our well-deserved "high" rating for our BD so now it is just wait-and-see-and-try-not-to-obsess mode. I was tinkering around and noticed that, if we get lucky, my due date will be July 9. Notice anything strange about this particular date? I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. All I can say is it would be a very odd coincidence.

11 comments:

Doughnut said...

I agree with you - believe it or not. I am not a sports type guy either for a number of reasons but I do like being outdoors hiking, biking, walking or canoeing just not hunting or fishing. You did great for not even wanting to be there. I am sure the others tried using beef jerky as well for bait but obviously they didn't have "the touch".

About fishing or hunting, I say if you aren't going to eat it, why do it? I am practically vegetarian anyways.

Looking forward to the good news soon from you!

Natalie said...

My dad is a big sports fisherman. And I always felt like you... I would always get very upset when the fish was flopping around. It was horrible. :( I don't fish anymore!

Anonymous said...

Maybe the universe is balancing itself. Something very precious was taken from you last July 9....maybe it will give you something this July 9th. Sorry, to get all Miss Cleo on you,,,but just a thought. Good Luck!

Kim said...

I'm with you, girly. I can respect that some enjoy camping/outdoor activities, but they just aren't my 'thing'. I'd much rather spend the night in a posh hotel with a big, comfy bed... eat at an insanely overpriced but incredibly delicious restaurant, and shop until I drop. I love scenery... I just prefer to look at it (from the balcony of a classy hotel, or in postcards), not sleep in it. Just doesn't appeal to me... and haven't we evolved past that?

I'm so proud of you though, way to show 'em!

RBandRC said...

I can't do the fishing thing. G likes to fish and often goes out with his cousin when we are up north. I'm more of a temperature controlled mall kinda girl. Plus, I would feel really bad if I caught something. I have to close my eyes when they catch fish on "Survivor" because it makes me feel bad.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!!

Meghan said...

Good for you, showing all those fisherman up! I'm all for a good hike but I've just never gotten into fishing...you need to get up so early in the morning..not my thing.

Wishing you a much happier July 9th this year!

Scrumpkin said...

Fishing is so hard for me!
I can't stand to see the fish flop around, knowing that they are at the end of their life. I could never actively participate in the death of anything (except maybe a evil, nasty spider). Life is precious, even if it's the life of a fish.

Oh well, I guess that is just the cirlce of life.

Courtney said...

You showed them!

I hope that the remaining days of the 2 ww speed by and that you get a wonderful result at the end of it.

Anonymous said...

UGH, camping. My husband's family loves it -- I can't stand it. If I don't have electricity for my hair dryer, I don't want to be there.

Ann said...

I am laughing so hard picturing you comforting that fish! Congrats on the catch, though--that must have moved you up in the eyes of your family members.

Ann said...
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