Who had Pandemic on their 2020 list of possible shit that was going to go down? Not I.
And now… I’m looking forward and kind of wondering what the rest of 2020 is going to look like and what maybe even 2021 might look like.
I have to imagine there is a whole lot of economic damage being done all over the world. Guides from California to Louisiana to the Keys to the Bahamas are all (or very much mostly) client-less. Since those jobs were more associated with the view and the lifestyle as opposed to the paycheck and benefits, I can only imagine how much hurt is being felt out there.
The threats are real, of course. Here in the US we are at 22K dead… either 1/3 or 1/4 done with the dying, depending on the model you prefer. That’s a pretty grim number. No, the hurt isn’t just financial.
My wife, a physician, things we won’t be flying anywhere until there is a vaccine and that is probably a year out. There are a lot of unknows as well. Testing is scarce, but eventually we’ll be able to get people tested for antibodies and that will give you a bit of a “OK, you can go about your business” pass, at least in theory.
I don’t know when next I’ll be on a flat somewhere throwing at a bonefish. Heck, I don’t even know when next I’ll be floating in my own raft. Maybe this summer?
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter much when I next fish. The real world has intruded on my fishing fantasy life.
Hope folks are doing well out there, staying safe and healthy and I hope we get through this and back to fishing sooner than we expect, but not sooner than we should.
- Unique Post
Well noted Bjorn. The unexpected makes us realize how lucky we are when we have the opportunities/blessings to go on fishing trips. Let’s hope we all get through this and our favorite destinations are there waiting for us when we do!
Bjorn, what is your stance on how the Pandemic impacts the environment and conservation efforts? I mean don’t get me wrong, we can all agree on it being overall horrible, but I can’t help but think that there are also some hidden benefits to it. The earth seems to get a breather, I seriously noticed improving wildlife around me (or maybe I am imagining that). PS: Loving this blog and your sense of humor! 🙂
Well, I think time will tell. Sure… the wildlife has had a breather. Maybe that helps. However, that also means there are fewer eyes watching for poachers and illegal harvesting and more folks are probably driven to those lengths as they need to feed their families. If tourist dollars aren’t coming, well… people have to eat… and maybe that’s a permit or maybe that’s a bunch of grouper from a spawning aggregation. Fly fishing, is, for the most part, a sustainable practice. If you take those jobs and dollars away, you leave the fish themselves as the resource.
So… it’s tricky. Selfishly, I’d like to be the first guy back on some of those flats with fish who have forgotten what a fly looks like, but, I feel for the folks, the guides, the lodge staff, the web of businesses supporting the industry, who are, ya know… going without right now. Pretty rough.