Of Muskies and Ego, An Old Guys Perspective

I've been in this trade for a very long time. Sometimes I wonder what I might have done with my life if I had applied the same energy to some concrete and steel city based business, but that's water over the dam.

Muskie fishing by it's nature draws out the testosterone in some, it always has. Fishing in general is somewhat ego driven, especially if one practices CPR exclusively. Since Muskie angling is mostly catch and release these days, the only possible reason one might have to fish them is somewhat ego driven, even if it's only for the peace and quiet as the angler goes one-on-one with the muskie. Beating a big fish at it's top game is extremely gratifying, and not just to us men. The ladies also have a stake in the game, and rightfully so. Do I have an ego? Hell yes, HUGE. I do try SO hard not to wear it on my shirt front, I really do.

Muskie fishing is one of the fastest growing segments of the fresh water angling market in the US and Canada. That's easy to see, just looking at the explosion of traffic here on MuskieFIRST over the last two years. There are a number of 'new' anglers in the sport, in every catagory from newbie weekend angler to aspiring 'Pro'. Some would say this is a good thing, some would say it's a bad thing. I think it's terriffic.

The number of new to the sport muskie anglers is growing so fast it's nearly meteoric. With that growth comes a full fledged developing electronic community, as witnessed by a user base here that covers most of the US, Canada, and a fair segment of Europe. In any community, there are those who simply go about the business of enjoying the information and experience of participating. Some want to directly interact, and some want to excell. Nothing new , really, it's just that because there are SO many new entries into the sport, there are far more egocentric individuals out there.

there was a time in my youth that i learned of the old man on the mountain. his name was andy mcfarland and as i was 23 or so he was nearing 70. i worked for a company of 1000 employees and carried a big job. now, andy was the most powerful person in the company and held post at the corner office furnished elegantly. there were three things in his office (computers did exist then) ... his phone, a coffee cup and a gold pen (to stir the sugar into his coffee). i remember being summoned to his office during a time when i had accomplished a "breakthrough" making a big impact on production efficiency ... this was during the time of implementation. he told me "your a smart young man ... just don't beat the sh!t out of people with your brain" ... i also remember a rough summer with business and the whole executive team was huddled into a big room to figure out what was happening in the market to cause us the slowness and pain ... all eyes went to Andy ... he said "well (as he looked at his hands and rubbed and inspected his thumb) each year i make it to lake fork for the opening of bass season and then make my way home via lake ouachita ... my damn thumb get raw from lippin bass and they crack and become sores and by the time they heal i can't seem to keep up with our customers for their needs ... it's nice that way cause i enjoy fishing" .... then he looked at his thumb again, chuckles and annnounces to the group ... "damn thumb's still raw ... anything else?"

there is a time to grow, and you've shown a good example to this community and to me personally steve ... i've considered you the old man on the mountain whether i want to take your advice or not ... you've always offered it when i asked and i thank you for that.

sled