Deeter: Why Carp Fishing is More Entertaining Than Soccer

A couple years ago, I wrote a story in Field & Stream called “Carp Crazy.” And I led that story by saying that carp fishing was like soccer… the rest of the world is stark raving mad about it, but, for the most part, we Yanks just haven’t quite seen the light. I also said that carp fishing was about as exciting as watching a soccer match.

Well, I was wrong. With the World Cup in full swing, I’ve taken in the best of what soccer has to offer… and I want to apologize.

To carp anglers. Carp fishing is far more entertaining than soccer.

For starters… you never play to a 0-0 draw in carp fishing. If you get skunked, the fish wins.

If a carp angler slips on a rock, or biffs himself in the back of the head with a poorly-cast woolly bugger (or boilie)… he won’t drop to the ground, grimace, cry, scream… have the medics haul him to the side, then pop up and jump back in the game 30 seconds later. Seriously… man up.

Carp anglers would never consent to decide a world championship with something as stupid as penalty kicks.

Now much has been said about those plastic horns in South Africa… I’m not going to criticize. In fact, I think a steady, monotone drone is the perfect soundtrack for most soccer matches.

As such, I promise never to compare carp fishing (particularly fly fishing for carp) to soccer again.

By the way, go team USA… I think G Howard carries them to at least the round of 16… I like Argentina and Germany in the final… I think the Dutch will underachieve once more… and I think an injured Drogba lifts the Ivory Coast out of the Group of Death…

But I don’t follow soccer.

Deeter