TRAILER
FISHING FOR GLORY I
am bobbing up and down in the middle of Fisherman’s Island Shoals. Waves crash on
all sides. The fog rolls in. A full-grown bull shark rumbles past. “What the hell am I doing here?” I mutter
to myself, “How am I going to get out of this mess?” Too late to turn back, I tighten my life vest, double check my Personal Locator Bea- con and paddle off in search of glory. Later, safely back on land, I returned to my
question. What could prompt me to risk life and limb for a fish? Fame? Fortune? Meat? Why do I end up in hairy situations again and again? Looking for an answer, I called three af-
flicted buddies. “I don’t know,” kayak kingpin Jim Sammons told me, “My first big fish was an accident, then it was no turning back.” Paddle philosopher Dennis Spike’s ex- planation was mathematical, “The kayak
54 …KAYAK ANGLER SUMMER/FALL 2012
gives me more opportunities on the water,” he said, “motivating me to target bigger and bigger fish.” Even shark-eater Allen Sansano wasn’t much
help. “I’m all about safety,” he said, “but I don’t really think about the danger until I’m sur- rounded by 300-pound sharks tearing through a school of salmon.” All three anglers repeated this line, “It was a natural progression.” Even infamous thrill seekers are no help.
George Mallory climbed Everest, “Because it is there,” and Willie Sutton robbed banks, “Because that’s where the money is.” Could it be that simple? Does some in-
describable, primordial urge prompt people to seek out adventure? Our ancient ances- tors didn’t have to look for excitement—they found it right outside the mouth of the cave. While
subsequent generations struggled to insulate our species from danger, other
WHAT PUSHES ANGLERS IN LITTLE BOATS TO CHASE GIANT FISH IN BIG WATER? BY RIC BURNLEY
people went to greater and greater lengths to manufacture excitement. From the Roman gladiators to modern kayak anglers, adren- alin addiction runs so deep that even the junkies can’t put a finger on it. Nothing spreads the disease like kayak
fishing. Cheap, convenient and accessible, kayak fishing offers the masses instant ad- venture. Whether an angler paddles through the breakers to chase calicos or drags his gear to a forgotten pond to stalk bucket-mouths, he’s really fishing for glory. Dennis Spike probably put it best. “A guy
could bowl his entire life and never have a 300 game,” he explains, “but a kayak angler has a shot at glory every time he hits the water.” Ric Burnley loves to live dangerously. That’s
why we’re sending this column to his wife Na- tasha. Burnley is the latest addition to the Kayak Angler editorial team.
ILLUSTRATION: LORENZO DEL BIANCO
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