Source: columbus.af.mil
The COVID-19 pandemic has elicited worldwide anxiety. Ignited by daily videos of scenes happening in the streets of China, the American people have grown scared, leading to alcohol and face mask shortages, and an over-stressed healthcare system. The March Madness never occurred, and this could be the end of the world for them.
This forced leave from school and work also provides us all with a chance to learn or revisit some of America’s most favorite hobbies – and one of these hobbies is fishing.
Fishing and COVID-19
Fishing follows all the guidelines of social distancing, and isolation is one of its vast benefits. When you go out to fish, you try to avoid all the other anglers from stealing your spot. Can you imagine the sunrise on your face, alone in a bass habitat just a few meters from your home? It’s calming and relaxing, right? And you’ll not get infected with the Coronavirus or spread it to anyone else if you have it.
On the other hand, you don’t need to be completely alone. You can go fishing with a loved one who’s with you at home, or a friend who also happens to live near you. Invite your best buddy a week ahead. If you want to go somewhere a little far from your place to your favorite deserted lake in the city, you can do so. Grab some soda and a few sandwiches so you won’t starve while you fish. Doing a hobby together with someone you’re close to is mentally beneficial as well as physically energizing. Taking your kids fishing is also a great idea for a family picnic, but you better schedule it in a day when there are less traffic and fewer people outdoors.
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A clinical professor and former health commissioner in Philadelphia, Dr. James Buehler, states that you are unlikely to get infected if you stay outdoors because you don’t get too close to others. Indoors, on the other hand, put you at a higher risk of being contaminated with the virus.
Fishing Encourages Self-Sufficiency
While fishing is fun and relaxing, it also encourages one to be self-sufficient. At times, the local fish sellers are unable to keep up with the demand because others are hoarding too many supplies due to the pandemic. Going fishing can help you stock up your freezer for a day or two on a slow day. You can have dinner with your catch from your family picnic, and you’re eating healthy too.
Fishing for your food also improves the mindset of those who depend on the government for their basic provisions. Undoubtedly, the state, federal, and local governments must work together and provide a strong response to the COVID-19 outbreak. If you can’t wait for a month or two because you think you can finally consume what you’ve been stocking up for decades, you’re not doing your community right. Fishing, on the contrary, distinguishes you from other people’s obsessions about how the government has been doing amidst the outbreak. You feel a sense of usefulness to those who are unable to work and provide for their families, and this reminds us that we, too, can do something to help our own families and even our neighborhood.
Source: pxhere.com
Learn To Fish
If you’ve never fished in your life, now is the right time. The first and easiest way to do that is to ask a family member or significant other who has had experience in fishing. If not, there’s a lot of videos you can watch online, and then you can buy some fishing gear from Amazon.
If, unfortunately, you have been infected with the virus, do stay home and rest. If you feel well, however, fishing is probably one of the best things you can do. Just don’t forget the social distancing guidelines provided to you by your community while you’re outdoors, enjoying and making memories despite these desperate times.