Fishing buddies
Some thoughts...
I recently wrote an article, “On Fishing Buddies and How to Find Them” for the Tom Beckbe Field Journal. In it I offered some thoughts on what it takes to be a good fishing buddy.
I broke it down into qualities that can make or break the partnership.
Can you trust them (with a handy test you can use to tell)?
Do they play well with others?
Are they always borrowing your stuff?
How do they treat the help?
How well can they fish?
Give it a read and let me know in the comments below if there are qualities you would add to the list. If you have a story to tell, stick them in the comments too. I am sure others would benefit from reading them.
The main criteria I use is, do they laugh at my jokes.
Good list. I'd add:
• How well do they treat what they borrow? The phrase "treat it like it was your own" certainly cannot apply to some people. There are those among us who, by either lack of awareness or inborn stupidity, aren't complete until they break something. I can't forgive either.
• Are they the "ME" in TEAM? - Being the product of a retired Senior Chief who sometimes woke us to reveille, put us knuckle heads to rest with taps and lovingly encouraged us to work together between, we knew the meaning of "one hand for the ship and one hand for you." This applies especially to group hunting/fishing trips and anything that involves camping. Be self sufficient, yes and pitch in.
• Verbose is Verboten - I like a good story and I've been more than once guilty of flooding the blind or boat with too much talk, but there are others worse than me. I need to set a better example and maybe that will help others.
• Do they operate "one click above death" - I have a good friend and fishing buddy. He's not stupid or unaware. He's a risk taker and completely capable (as far as I've known) to get us out of nearly any self inflected and involuntary mess. Fishing with him is an adventure to say the absolute least. I don't mind it with the right people.