Fishing can be one of the great solitary endeavours, writes comedian and Seven Sharp reporter Ben Hurley.
You can reflect on your thoughts in the great wide open while engaging in the primaeval desire to hunt and gather. Who are we? What does it all mean? When fish are hunting other fish, do they still call it "fishing"?
I had all these thoughts when I was fishing off the shore by myself until I got a bit, well, lonely.
It’s believed that, as a species, we have been fishing for more than 40,000 years, yet it’s still one of the most popular human pastimes, especially in our island nation.
Fishing is pretty important to New Zealanders. It’s an excellent way to catch your dinner, socialise, and connect with fellow homo-sapiens.
Anyone who has ever been fishing off the rocks or beach knows it is often a fruitless exercise, probably more about the journey than the outcome.
Fishing in deep water from boats took off in the 15th century because the hit rate is significantly higher, and anyone who’s been to a boat ramp on a sunny Saturday morning can attest that it’s easily the most popular way of gathering kaimoana.
However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to a critical component of deep-water fishing: a boat.
Enter three Bay of Plenty friends who have developed an app that links keen fisherpeople with boat owners who like to share.
Like so many great ideas, the new social media app Fishily was born at a barbecue.
The difference here from other barbecue-fueled intentions is that they actually did it and followed through.
Todd Morris, Scott Clarke and Jackson Currie developed Fishily over the last three years, and fortunately, Currie — as a software designer — was the key to making it a reality.
Sparkling conversation
Boat owners register their intended date, time and location of a fishing trip and potential “crew” (those without boats) log their desire to join them on board. In return, they can contribute petrol money, food, bait, gear, expertise or, in my case, just sparkling conversation.
“We live in an increasingly virtual and physically detached world,” said Clark, “and we hope to change that.”
“We hope to create authentic, real-life connections and to gain the mental and physical health benefits that being on or in the water brings,” said Morris.
Nothing escalates a friendship faster than travelling, and it’s supercharged if you are on a boat miles from land. The shared experience of engaging in the millennia-old fishing practice connects us on a primordial level.
Amazingly, we can now use an app to facilitate it.
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