I actually stopped and thought about this one....I fish to fool fish primarily. It was mentioned earlier that it is the hunt that's attractive, and I would have to agree.

When I was younger, I hiked into a number of lakes in the Cascades and Olympics, but never would I go hiking unless there was a lake to fish at the end. I know that not all folks look at hiking that way, but for me, it's all about outsmarting fish. I quit using bait for all kinds of fish a number of years ago, so "fooling the fish" is the best part and I never consider a trip "skunked" unless I was unable to fool a fish into striking.


The icing on the cake is all of the other great things already mentioned, but if I was just out to socialize or observe nature, I wouldn't have a fishing rod as an apendage.