Short People Make Happier Fishing Travelers

people

Jan 6

I’m 5’11, but I always wanted to be 6’6” or 6’7”. That’s Dave Winfield height, the kind that enables you to be drafted by the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball (along with the ABA), but not so incredibly rare that you’re viewed as a sideshow oddity. The truth, however, is that even at 6’6” I probably wouldn’t have the durability to be a tight end or the hops to dunk a basketball. I wasn’t going to be able to reliably hit the curveball at any height. Still, until recently I held out hope that I’d have another growth spurt at some point in my fifties.

Of course, super-short guys have it rough. Even if you’re not a true homunculus, you may be limited in the dating pool or when running for president. At the same time, after 20 years of being married to Hanna (she’s 5’1” ¼ -- when you’re that size the quarter and half inches being especially meaningful) and traveling around the globe to fish with her, I’ve realized that there are some huge advantages to being vertically-challenged. Here are some of the obvious ones:

Economy Class – Not a Problem – Even at average height, the ever-shrinking economy class seats are a nightmare, especially if you’re going to try to cram a personal item under the seat in front of you. I feel cramped and trapped, and then I look at Hanna sitting next to me, legs dangling off the chair, with enough room for three small bags on the floor, and I’m jealous.
Hotel Beds – Not a Problem – We sleep in a queen bed at home, so when we have a king-sized bed in a hotel it feels like we’re in separate countries, but at some international hotels and fishing lodges the beds are a weird off-size more similar to a cot. I struggle with my feet hanging off the ends – I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a 7-footer in those situations.
More Luggage Space – Even if you don’t have luggage limitations (e.g., we were limited to 33 pounds total in Africa and 44 pounds in the Amazon), it always helps to have more space in your bags for lures, fishing gear and other necessities like anti-diarrheal meds. Even if we pack the same basic gear, Hanna’s rain bibs are smaller and lighter than mine, and her little underwear definitely takes up less space than my boxers. The result is more Senkos, crankbaits and similar items. [Pro Tip: If you’re not a small person yourself, travel with one and put your extra gear in their remarkably roomy bag].
No One Ever Asks for Your Help – If you’re short, no one ever asks you to get something off of a tall shelf. When they’re picking a random helper out a crowd, you tend to blend in with torsos. That means that you’re unlikely to be called into action for heavy lifting. Of course, I suppose the converse of this could be true – if something or someone is stuck in a cave, you may be enlisted to assist. I’ll get back to you when that actually happens.
You Don’t Hit Your Head on Stuff – Despite the fact that we love the great wide-open outdoors, boats and float planes and other fishing-adjacent spaces tend to have low ceilings and small spaces for activity. I’ve bumped my head on plenty of center consoles and other hard, sharp objects. It hurts. Not surprisingly, Hanna has never had that issue.

And most importantly…

All of your fish look bigger in pictures! While it’s hard to make a truly huge marlin or musky or tarpon look diminutive, put a 10 pound bass in the hands of Shaquille O’Neal and someone’s going to get him a digital scale for his next birthday. Put that same fish in the hands of Hanna or our friend Samantha Sukupcak and people will question whether it’s a teener. That’s a superpower, in my estimation.