Rightly or wrongly, technology has made the sport of fishing less of a guessing game and more like shooting the proverbial gill-bearing creatures in a barrel. Smartphone-connected fish finders, and even waterproof drones that will land your lure in their midst are a couple of recent examples, and now a new device is designed to make things even easier. The Fish Call works by mimicking the sounds of feeding fish and is claimed to draw in species of all kinds.

The Fish Call is the brainchild of a father-son duo. Users simply flick a switch and lob the Fish Call into the water, where it emits sounds and vibrations that simulate those of a school of feeding fish. This is said to whet the appetite of fish in the area, moving them to school and causing them to bite with more aggression, thereby improving your chances of a bite when casting your line near the device.

This is a simple example of how a couple of ‘frustrated’ fishermen have taken the opportunity to embrace technology and make their, and many others, fishing experiences more rewarding. If the device works as they say it does then the orders will come flooding in, and the Fish Call will be another instrument in the tackle box that is probably bursting with gadgets and devices already. However the true fishermen will say ‘That is just not fishing’. A friend said that my late father, who fished all his life, would be turning in his grave.

We live in an age where technological advancements are fast and furious, and countless people will have the misunderstanding that technology will displace many of the traditional manufacturing processes. Take additive manufacturing or Direct Metal Printing as it is now being referred to, for example. The development of this process several years ago has caused many to have a reaction of fear. Many think that if this competitor advances enough, it will put an end to the traditional foundry practices and to the industry.

But it’s the exact opposite. Don’t see this as a threatening technology but rather as a complementary piece of equipment that’s another tool on the factory floor.

The same could be said about magazines and books. “Print is dead.” That was the pronouncement of many analysts who watched the rise of digital, online media in the early 2000s. They predicted that readers would abandon books, newspapers and magazines in favour of electronic devices capable of delivering content in a digital format through a variety of media channels. They have been proved wrong in that many of the traditional print media have been able to survive and most have their own websites, including this publication. I look at the website as adding value to the magazine, and for clients that use Metalworking News as an advertising medium. The reach, through the digital platform, has expanded beyond belief and it will continue to do so as long as I provide a valuable reading experience.

I certainly see the advancement of technology as a friend. Do you? Cheers I am going fishing (with my Fish Call device).