Are You A Giver Or A Taker?

So I guess I’m making every other fisherman on the river mad. According to another local angler who claims to be “in the know”, the views I express through the Siuslaw News are destroying the fishing here. While I normally brush this person’s comments aside (I seem to be a frequent target of his attacks), it got me to thinking: am I giving back to the sport I love or simply taking what I can?

Are You A Taker?
Here’s my definition of a taker: someone who’s not worried about the number of fish returning, just so long as he can get his. The taker isn’t worried about future opportunities – just the here and now. The taker refuses to acknowledge the validity of spawning grounds surveys because he knows there’s plenty of fish. A taker is only concerned with any reduction in his opportunities – not really caring about other anglers. The taker is generally the last one you’d expect to give up any fish-catching tips, but the first to tell you a dozen stories about how great of a fisherman he is. After all, the taker figured out how to catch fish all by himself (yeah, right). And rather than admitting that he might be part of the problem, the taker will always blame some other person or group.

What’s So Great About Being A Giver?
A giver is willing to give up his own short-term opportunity for the big picture. A giver is not necessarily concerned with filling up the freezer, but realizes the value of wild fish goes way beyond the dinner plate. The giver respects the journey that our salmon and steelhead complete before they come home. The giver wants future generations to have the chance to experience what we’ve come to take for granted. Instead of complaining about what is lost, the giver takes action and tries to move things in a positive direction.

Be Part Of The Solution
I invite all of my readers to make a difference in our local fisheries. There are many different things you can do to give back: take someone fishing who might not be able to go by themselves. Leave your favorite fishing hole cleaner than you found it. Give fellow anglers a wave and a smile instead of a cross look when they fish next to you. And if you happen to experience some good fortune on the water, share your knowledge with other fisherman.

Thanks to all of you who make a difference. I know there are more givers than takers out there. And to that fine fellow who says (but probably doesn’t really think) that I’m single-handedly destroying fishing on the Siuslaw: you are always welcome to express your concerns to me personally. At least I’ll have some respect for that.

See you on the water,
Action Jackson

(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)