How a chance encounter refreshed his ideals of good sportsmanship

I was out floating around when I saw the boat about three-quarters of a mile away turn toward me. It didn’t look familiar but I could see there was no question it was heading my way with a purpose.

I prepared for yet another unexpected encounter. I’ve had them with folks who have had hostile attitudes or just plain weird perspectives. I’ve had boaters pull up next to where I’ve been fishing for 20 minutes and park within 30 feet – seriously? One time a guy motored up very close and then tossed his huge anchor overboard – kersplash!

I’m not alone, and I’ve heard from many who seek to avoid contact on the lake at all costs. After you’ve had anglers go by you within 50 feet (at 30 to 60 mph) while you’re obviously fishing, you have to decide just how you should respond. In addition, I’ve had bold anglers come up real close just to try to see my lures.

So that’s why I got my guard up right away as the boat approached.

He came up slowly with a big smile and a shout out to me. I relaxed. I don’t remember his name, but I won’t forget his great attitude. “Rog, how are you doing? I thought I would come over and tell you about all the fish over by the drop-off I’ve been catching,” he said. He even showed me the lure he had been using.

He had come all the way over to tell me the kind of information most anglers hide. What a good sportsman! He told me that he knew I would only share his info with other anglers who were trustworthy. And here I was, on guard about getting taken advantage of, run over or pushed off my spot.

I was taken aback. I hadn’t seen much of this kind of sportsmanship and consideration for quite awhile. It humbled me.

This gracious display made me immediately want to reciprocate and reward this guy’s attitude. I told him about a good area I had found and what to do. It was a wonderful exchange of trust – and with someone I very rarely see.

The whole encounter left a golden aura over the rest of my trip. It captured the essence of what we hope and believe that good sportsmanship should look like: leaving each other better off, energized and more refreshed than when we met. I felt more positive than I had for a long time.

It’s easy to become jaded, perpetually offended, negative and expecting the worst rather than going the extra mile and working hard to set the right attitude. Funny, though, in most cases you get back what you give.

We need to try to keep our lakes and waters the places where we endeavor to bring our best selves to the sport and our life – not the worst. It’s what good sportsmen do.

Never give up!

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 10:50 AM with the headline "How a chance encounter refreshed his ideals of good sportsmanship."