Growing up as a youthful adventurer in the mid-1950’s, I encountered all sorts of challenges and angling experiences lying in wait just beyond the back door of my home. A good sized swamp pond called Big Duck Pond beckoned to my younger brother and I out beyond our humble abode and offered fishing encounters just waiting to test the skills of two budding anglers. True fishable shoreline on Big Duck was mighty scarce thereby limiting elbowroom available for casting a hook impaled worm or cricket out to the finny inhabitants of this watery wonderland.

Our first taste of expanding the possibilities of fishing this pond presented itself to us in the ignominious form of an abandoned cement mixing trough found cast off near some discarded construction debris. To a couple of country boys hell bent on increasing the amount of available fishing water, this trough had all the promise of a sport fishing cruiser. Despite a liberal coating of hardened cement and a carrying a burden able to herniate the stomach muscles of a burly weight lifter, my brother and I managed to portage this new-found fishing craft to the shoreline launch point of Big Duck Pond. Eagerly we loaded our angling gear, fresh bait and a couple of paddles fashioned from old 2×4’s into our “boat” and shoved off in search of previously unattainable honey holes.

About 10 feet from the shore we discovered that construction workers discard cement troughs for a valid reason – split seams that fail to hold water in. Conversely, when used as a watercraft they fail to keep water out as well.

Scrambling like crazy, my brother and I managed to slosh ashore wetter and wiser as our fishing craft slipped gurgling and bubbling beneath the dark surface of our favorite fishing hole.

This brief flirtation with the finite advantageous of being water mobile made a lasting impression on the two of us. Since that fateful day we’ve both been cognizant of the unlimited accessibility to new and better fishing opportunities that a boat owner has available by way of their craft. Shore-bound anglers can only imagine the possibilities available to their opposites comfortable ensconced within a fishing craft plying hidden coves and unreachable hot spots wherein fish of mind boggling magnitude await those fortunate few who have waterborne access to these secret lairs.

Standing on shore, one’s feet planted firmly on Mother Earth, anglers must wait for the fish to come to them while our brethren in the boat searches out and goes to the source – OH, the frustration of one and the joy of the other.

A boat is a magic carpet made of wood, aluminum or fiberglass that conveys one’s body and soul across the surface of the water to imaginable enjoyments awaiting just beyond the spot your floating in or the secrets of that inlet just a little past that point of land off the starboard bow. Where it takes you is up to your common sense, observation of boating safety and knowledge of the water you’re on. Keeping these factors uppermost in your mind can provide countless hours of pleasure and introduce you to the wonders of the unexplored. The “carpet” can be a harsh taskmaster for those that fail to observe the simplest of precautions for safe boat operations and handling it wisely in an element fairly alien to most of us in our daily lives.

Your approach to boating can range from the simplicity of a one-man canoe to the blue water efficiency of a deep water sport fishing cruiser. Unless you find yourself gainfully employed as a commercial fisherman then the name of the game here is certainly sport fishing for pleasure, a diverse spectrum of multiple angling methods. The boat you use is more or less dictated by the type of fish you’re after or the style of fishing you prefer to use to achieve success on the water. It’s a good idea never to lose sight of the fact that a boat is, for the most part, merely a tool and like any good tool it allows you the ability to do more – and better – in your angling pursuits.

The unique style and design of all the boats available out there can be very intimidating to a boating newcomer. Factor in the monetary impact of the price tag and you will find a short and long term impact on your cash flow projections. If you are a novice or just plain unfamiliar in making a determination as to what type of boat you can best utilize then by all means don’t be shy – ask a friend with boating experience for help or advice. If you have internet access then there are unlimited web-sites out there containing a veritable first – class educational experience for anyone willing to take the time to learn all that it offers. And, last but not least, boat dealers themselves can be helpful if you are savvy enough to ask the right questions and look beyond their goal of selling a boat before you get away.

The state of New Hampshire and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary both offer boating courses at various times of the year for fledgling boaters. These courses teach safe navigation, rules of the water and essential boating skills essential to making your on the water experience safer and more pleasurable.

The languid quiet of a canoe at dawn drifting effortlessly amongst a mist shrouded back water while you search for hungry largemouth bass contrasts sharply with 200 screaming horsepower on the back end of a glitter flaked bass boat racing flat out to weigh-in time at a local tournament. Both of these craft can put us onto the fish, recharge our internal batteries and keep us coming back for more – and that’s what it is all about now, isn’t it.

Gordon Lewis writes the Outdoor Notebook for the Sunday Telegraph and welcomes your comments (or controversy). He can be reached at: moonglowfarm@gmail.com

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