> Rather than philosophy or sociology to explain, I'd choose literature. We have some great American literature on fishing. Anyway, imagine you are stuck in the office or on the job at ten in morning, go get in the car and drive out to one of piers around the bay and toss in a line, crack open a beer and start talking to your comrades, mostly immigrants who don't speak English, maybe trade some snack or a beer ... could any of us actually do that in this society without the need for a great lie? So the rural kid had a point.
My favourite personal story of freedom and fishing is from my short career as an Electrical Tradesman's Assistant, employed on the construction of a woodchip mill in northern Tasmania, back in 1973. I was 18 and the job was my introduction to the now lost world of authentic trade unionism, the strict delineation of what work and what tools could be performed according to trade. For instance an Electrical Tradesman's Assistant was not permitted to touch a shovel, which was a tool strictly guarded by the labourer's union.
Anyway there was one day I'll never forget, it was the ultimate story of freedom of the oppressed working man. (No ladies employed on the site in those days, I assure you.) On Easter Friday 1973, most of the workforce turned up at work with fishing tackle and went straight down to the dock. Of course no management staff were present, they being salaried staff there would be no point them turning up on a public holiday. But the waged employees, the trade unionists, earned triple-time on a Good Friday and in those days the unions were strong, so the construction company did not dare provoke them by trying to deny them the bonus.
We all had a wonderful time, lounging around the dock, scraping oysters off the rocks and using them to bait our hooks. We felt like Lords that day, not a stick of work was done by anyone.
If that isn't freedom, getting paid triple time to lay about in the sun fishing, With no bosses to tell you what to do. I don't know what is.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas