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Doing Things Differently

By Dan Trotter on March 9, 2018 in Sport

Young Fin with a whiting nearly as big as him! by Sonny Gordon.

After writing for The Beast for ten years now, I never tire of the monthly call to words. It’s such a great opportunity to write for a publication I personally love reading, that’s local to my home and my heart, and is published by two of the nicest, hardworking and dedicated brothers you could hope to meet. Big-ups to Dan and James for their enduring efforts and commitment. The Eastern Beaches wouldn’t be the same without your witty words and dry sense of humour.
Do it differently – whatever it is you do, just do it differently, do it exceptionally well, focus on making it count, and you will rise out of the humdrum noise of the world we live in and stand up and be counted.
It is an interesting statement made by an even more interesting man, in a room full of talented people, that caught my attention and made me pause to consider the concept. It is interesting because this statement flies in the face of the commonsense practice many of us adopt as we grow up. To do things differently meant we’d stand out, be laughed at, be teased or, even worse, bullied. In a world where we as Homo sapiens spend so much of our time working on fitting in, it was music to my ears that I could finally stop capitulating and get even more comfortable with my own differences. Let’s celebrate our uniqueness and teach our kids and the young people we know to do so as well. It really is one of the things that makes life great. After all, variety is one of the spices of life.
Now, if you’re a regular reader of The Beast, you’ll recognize the fact that The Beast is a magazine that does things differently, never shying away from controversy or a little bit of conflict, and that’s part of why we love it! “If in doubt, leave it in,” I remember Dan saying to me one day – what a great motto!
Now, can I tie this into fishing? Of course I can. One of the greatest things about fishing, for those of us afflicted with obsession, is the joy that comes from a continual learning curve and experimentation that leads to success. Every innovation in fishing comes from trying the new and doing or making something differently. Whether that’s a location, a lure, a technique or a theory; without it, we’d all be fishing with catgut lines, cane rods and, sadly on the flipside, the fish in the world’s oceans would be a lot more plentiful.
So, how can you as an angler challenge yourself to do a few small things differently to improve your catch rates, but also become more sustainable? On the sustainability front, you can start by never buying bait, and never buying commercially caught fish at the markets or in restaurants, don’t buy cat food made from fish, and always only ever kill that which you will use or eat fresh. It’s a challenge at every step of the way, but it is possible if you care about the oceans and your own personal impact.
Next month I’ll return to the norm and write about fishing instead of life. But for now, here’s to doing things differently!