Lifelong learning is a great way to change your perspective on life, keep your mind sharp, and maybe even inspire your kids to make education an important part of their lives.
You don’t have to hit the books to continue learning long after you’ve left school. Picking up a new sport or teaching yourself a life skill offers many of the same benefits.
Fishing is a skill that can not only be learned at any age, but that also carries no shortage of health benefits for your mind and body. If you’re looking for the right skill to learn in 2021, look no further; keep reading to learn why learning to fish is the best choice.
1. Stress Relief
Few people, if any, got through 2020 without an extra dose of stress and anxiety. Worry about job security, our health, and interruptions to every aspect of our day-to-day lives left many of us dealing with much more stress than usual.
Whether you were a generally laid-back person before COVID-19 began its worldwide sweep or not, odds are that you could use a little stress relief now.
Fishing, and time spent outdoors in general, is the perfect remedy for that stress. There’s a proven link between time spent outdoors and a reduction in not just stress and anxiety, but your blood pressure as well.
Fishing offers an even bigger dose of that. It gives you something to focus your energy on. It’s a sport that rewards you with healthy, heart-pounding excitement, as well as a sense of accomplishment. When you reel in that big catch, you’ll enjoy an instant boost of pride and satisfaction at your hard work paying off. Of course, biting into that delicious fish that you caught yourself doesn’t hurt with that, either.
If you’ve found yourself in need of a little stress relief, taking up fishing is a great choice.
2. It’s an Easy Way to Stay Safe
Even as vaccines begin to roll out, it’s still a good idea to practice healthy social distancing for the time being. This means avoiding busy hotspots, like shopping malls, tourist destinations, and in some cases, even places like the beach or your local park.
If you previously enjoyed spending your free time playing at the park, going to the beach for a vacation, or maybe doing a little retail therapy, you might have found yourself in need of a healthier alternative.
Fishing, even on a luxury fishing excursion, is an easy way to avoid those dangerous crowds. You can get away from the hustle and bustle of busy cities or other tourist destinations, and get back to nature.
3. It Helps Grow Your Relationships
Fishing is often seen as a solo sport. But while reeling in a record salmon might be a great way for you to enjoy a little “one-on-one” time with nature, learning to fish or taking a fishing trip is also a wonderful way to grow relationships with those closest to you.
Away from the distractions of your daily life and disconnected from technology, work, and other obligations, you’ll have a chance to reconnect and spend quality time together. As you learn alongside one another, you’ll create new memories and shared experiences that are certain to last a lifetime.
4. You’ll Get Active
Another reason getting outdoors is so good for you is that it encourages physical activity. For the first-timer, fishing might not seem like an overly physical sport. But it actually images your muscles, gets your blood pumping, and is a great way to get active without having to hit the pavement for a run or pay a visit to your gym.
Whether you love exercising or despise it, odds are that you’ll enjoy the physical aspect of fishing, and your body will thank you with a boost of healthy endorphins, better sleep, lower blood pressure, and more.
5. Give Back to the Environment
Whether you consider yourself passionate about protecting the environment before or not, learning to fish will likely help to inspire you to want to do more to protect the beautiful natural world around us.
By simply purchasing your Canadian fishing license, you’ll be supporting conservation efforts that help to protect the country’s unique biodiversity. Experiencing the age-old tradition of catching, cooking, and enjoying your own catch helps remind us of our intimate connection to the world and its animals.
Visiting Sointula Lodge, and enjoying the pristine waters that surround our island, and then returning home to waterways and other natural areas that may not be as well preserved, might also be a great source of inspiration for you. If you’re eager to continue fishing when you get back home, you may find yourself wanting to join efforts to clean up waterways and protect native fish in your area.
Learning to Fish in 2021
Fishing is a great life skill to learn, regardless of your age. Whether you’ve never cast a line or it’s been years, 2021 is the perfect time to learn. It’s a wonderful way to let go of the added stress we’ve all experienced in the last year, boost your health and immune systems, and give back to the environment.
While you can certainly learn to fish on your own, if you want to speed up your learning, increase your odds of reeling in your first catch, and enjoy the trip of a lifetime at the same time, it’s time to book your summer 2021 trip to Sointula Lodge!
