Fishing
I'm not an animal rights activist as such, but I'm against animal testing, battery farming etc etc. I check labels to ensure 'no animals were harmed in the making of this product' kinda thing.

But I love fishing. I go at least once a week if possible. I don't see it as a sport as I'm not unhappy if I don't catch anything. But I can spend 24 hours outdoors trying to put a hook through a fishes lip and haul it (carefully) on to dry land to admire it and then put it back.

Like global warming, there are arguments by many scientists that fish do/do not feel pain when hooked through the lip. I don't know which I believe (though my guilt is slightly warded off by the latter).

But I also feel sad when I see rabbits/badgers/deer/birds that have been run over by cars. I once went shooting rabbits as a young teen and felt extraordinarily guilty and pained when I hit one (it screamed) and never did it again.

I confuse myself with my feelings towards my pass time. Just today whilst fishing I saw an otter (which yelled at me), several Kingfishers, a green Woodpecker, blue tits, long tailed tits, coal tits, a water vole and the nose of a mole, as well as several species of duck and goose.

What other hobby (other than bird watching, I tried it, it's boring. Although I did meet Bill Oddie!) will let me see these things that bring me joy, as well as providing the adrenaline that your float disappearing produces?

So. I love nature, but aquatic nature better watch itself because I have a hook with a maggot on.

So confused. Rambles on....

Smurf

*It's not about the length, it's about the weight and how long it took you to play it.
(Big Smurf Brush me daddy-O, Sat 21 Feb 2009, 20:29, 3 replies)

You're looking for
a hobby that lets you see the beauty of nature and gives you an adrenaline rush?


Try dogging.
(LickOutTheJamsMotherfuckers!, Sat 21 Feb 2009, 20:49, closed)

Great!
If anyone can beat belms answer which made me do a LOL, I'll do.........something.

btw, I live in Ipswich. Incestuous dogging HQ!
(Big Smurf Brush me daddy-O, Sat 21 Feb 2009, 20:56, closed)

Nothing wrong with rambling on
Some bloke even wrote a song about it once.
(Helixdaunting, Mon 23 Feb 2009, 1:39, closed)