VANTAGEPOINT
CHETSNEDDEN
AWHILEBACK,
I wrote in this space about com-
biningacoupleofmypassions: runningand travel.
Many of youwho are avid runners and travelers
generously shared your own stories of running
around theworld.With summer upon us, and as
our thoughts increasingly turn to the outdoors,
I thought I would devote this month’s column
to another favorite pastime which, like running,
complements a loveof travel: fishing.
It’s hard to think of an activity that is more
universal, or more unifying, than fishing. People
have been at it for thousands of years— for sus-
tenance, for funor just forpeaceandquiet. It can
bedonealmostanywhere in theworld, andalmost
anyonecando it. Inmillionsof familiesaround the
world, includingmyown, fishinghasbeen taught,
generation togeneration, forgingabondbetween
oldandyoung, thepast and the future.
Igotmystartwithmydad, and I still remember
the firstbass I caughtona lake inTexas. Igrewup
on theGulf Coastwith threebrothers, andwe all
fished. Stretching fromMexico to Port Isabel on
the southern tip of Texas, all theway around to
the Florida Keys, the Gulf Coast is a fisherman’s
paradise,withquarry ranging from redfish, snook
and speckled trout to themighty tarpon.
Many years ago, I took up fly-fishing, which
requiressomewhatdifferent techniqueandequip-
ment thanconventional fishing.Castingwitha fly
rod takes a little getting used to, but once you
get thehangof it, it’sa lotof fun. Fly-fishinggoes
back a longway andwas chronicled in England
dating back to Shakespearean times. Years ago,
my family lived in London, and every Saturday
during the summer, my young son and I would
travel west to the small River Lambourn to catch
brown trout. That’s where I taught him to cast,
and I’mproud tosayhe’sanavid fisherman today.
In my travels, I’ve fished from Alaska to
Patagonia (the southern tip of South America)
and at many points in between. The fun of fish-
ing for trout or salmon in their natural habitats
is matched only by the humbling beauty of the
surroundings. English author and angler Izaak
Walton called fishing “the contemplativeman’s
recreation.” I tend to agree, but I would add that
catching a fish is about more than standing still
and thinking deep thoughts. Take the bonefish,
forexample.A favoriteof saltwater fly-fishermen
for decades, it is a silver bullet of a fish that is
enormously strong, incredibly fast and nearly in-
visible on thewhite-sand flats it inhabits. Some
of my favorite bonefishing is in the Florida Keys,
theBahamasandBelize. Then there is the tarpon,
the acrobatic fishing equivalent of a fighter jet.
Someof thebest tarpon fishing in theworld can
be found in southwest Florida.
My favorite fishing is in warmweather, typi-
cally on saltwater flats or beaches. This kind of
fishing takes place in shallowwater and entails
sight casting, or visually spotting the fishwhile
they feed (akin tohunting).Youeitherwade in the
water or cast fromavery shallowboat or kayak.
But like I said, good fishingcanbehadalmost
anywhere, froma rural pondor lake to thewaters
surrounding Manhattan. Wherever I cast a line,
whether the Gulf waters of my youth or some
location half a world away, what I remember
most about any fishing trip is not the fish or the
surroundings but the time spent with family and
friends. Like travel, fishingbringspeople together
and keeps them connected long after the equip-
menthasbeenpackedup. There isacontinuity to
fishingwhich struckme recentlywhen Iwatched
myson teachingmy father tocasta fly rod. That’s
why I fish.
If you flip to the back of thismagazine, you’ll
find the American Airlines routemap. Pick just
about any point on that map, and I bet there is
good fishing nearby. Sowhen I get the chance, I
pack a small, four-piece travel rod for the road,
just in case.
Wherever you’regoing today, Iwant to thank
you for flyingwithus. Iwishyouagreat trip, and,
if you’rea fisherman, tight lines!
FishStories
THOMASW. HORTON
Chairman&CEO
AmericanAirlines
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8
JUNE 01, 2013
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
