FISHING THERAPY
As even non-anglers will tell you, time spent on the bank can be seriously relaxing. But it could pay us all to make a lot more of the sport’s healing qualities, reckons Dom Garnett
WHILE we regularly celebrate big achievements and amazing catches in the fishing world, the sport’s calming, therapeutic qualities are seldom mentioned.
Perhaps it’s far easier to measure pounds and ounces than human happiness, but interestingly, previous surveys have revealed that the number one reason we fish is ‘to relax’ or ‘get away from it all’. But could it also be beneficial to our very mental well-being?
Having personally suffered from depression, I am convinced that this is the case. I’m sure that plenty of others would agree with me, and if the statistics are correct, at least one person in four reading this will have wrestled with mental health difficulties this year alone.
In my case, things like counselling, eating a better diet and even meditation have helped with the blues, but I remain convinced that fishing, too, has been incredibly helpful.
Even in the blackest of times, it provides us with a different, more positive focus, not to mention the obvious benefits of fresh air and light exercise.
For those who’ve never been there, it is quite hard to convey the reality of depression. Perhaps the overwhelming feeling is that of being trapped, as if the way you feel will never change. Fishing offers not only a different place to escape to, but a cause for fresh hope every time we cast out.
This sense of quiet purpose and space to breathe is absolutely priceless to anyone afflicted by low moods, whether that means a temporary bout of stress or longterm mental health challenges.
In my own case, fishing has given me a crucial outlet during tough times, possibly saving me from far more destructive habits than spending hours on a damp river bank.
Call me mad then (or actually don’t, we’re trying to get away from such labels these days), but given that we recommend painting, poetry or even aromatherapy to cure low spirits these days, surely we could make more use of fishing as therapy?
To a lesser extent, we already do. I’ve seen the positive effect of angling projects, whether troubled young offenders or ladies recovering from cancer are the recipients. It works a charm, too, cutting across social divides and age groups.
So why don’t we roll out fishing as a catalyst for well-being on a much larger scale?
It strikes me that many of us already quietly use angling to protect our own sanity, but we could still do a lot more to reach out to others.
Whether it’s taking a stressed friend fishing, or volunteering to help get local kids off the streets and on to the bank, the potential is huge and the message is clear – fishing is more than just a hobby, it can make a great difference to our well-being.