Huge game fishing is something that has captured the imagination of the country for centuries. Fishing itself is thought to be a relaxing sport, but one quick look at someone trying to reel in a shark or fighting marlin dispels this notion; it can be really exciting and exhausting too! Authors of classical literature have not overlooked this dramatic side to the sport, and have often included instances of it in their work.
Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” is a fantastic example of this trend. Published in America more than one hundred years ago, it tells the tale of Captain Ahab and his fanatical quest for vengeance against the white whale Moby Dick. The whale had injured him some years previous, and now with a wooden leg, Ahab thirsts for revenge.
Over the course of the novel, one learns a fantastic deal about whaling and the kind of people who might take part in it. On the other hand, though, the real thrust of the novel is Ahab’s obsession and the depths to which it takes him and the rest of the crew. A nice reminder that life shouldn’t be idle on a singular obsessive search, no matter the object.
Next up we’ve got Hemingway’s eternal classic, “The Ancient Man and the Sea”. This tale takes place in the 20th century and follows an episode in the life of an ancient fisherman named Santiago as he attempts to recover from a slump in which he hasn’t caught a fish in over a month.
Having not caught a fish for more than a month, Hemingway’s Ancient Man struggles not just for the sake of honor or his reputation as a fisherman, but rather for his life itself. There is a very real sense that the man will eventually die if he doesn’t succeed in his journey. Spanning many perilous days and nights, this tale highlights the lengths to which humanity can, and sometimes must, go to find value.
Last but not least, there’s even the tale of Jonah and the Whale from the Bible. Whether one believe this to be the divine word of God or just a fantastic example of classic literature, it still can’t escape the draw of a excellent fishing tale. Here, we have the prophet Jonah really being swallowed up by a fantastic beast of the sea.
Along the way, of course, the ship faces a host of obstacles and troubles, and soon the sailors realize that Jonah’s presence is responsible and they throw him overboard. Then, a fish turns the tables on the fishermen by swallowing Jonah whole, and he is condemned to spend the next fantastic while in the belly of the beast, praying for mercy from the mad God he rebuked.
As we all know, though, Jonah is delivered up from the whale in the end, and this is very similar to the act of deliverance that literature performs upon the sport of huge game fishing. Far from being something un-intellectual, it is a passionate undertaking that can mean the difference between life and death for many people. The fantastic authors of the world have known this and their wisdom should be heeded.
Are you taking into account taking-up huge game fishing as your next leisure activity? Check out our online guide to huge game rods for the inside scoop on amongst others Daiwa fishing rods.
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