I carry a firearm while fishing and in most other things I do. I have a valid license from the Commonwealth of Kentucky and 30+ states recognize my Kentucky license. I've been around firearms all my life and have at various times been a range officer, safety instructor and match director.

It is not macho paranoia at all. I frequently fish alone sometimes in rather remote areas. I have stumbled upon marijuana fields. Also, breaking down a fly rod and taking off waders, etc after dark on a country road with nobody around makes one a very easy target. 3 women were mugged in our local suburban Wal-Mart parking lot during the Christmas shopping season.

A crackhead or a crazy person needs no reason to attack you. These individuals are not confined to urban / inner city areas. They can show up any time and any place.

One of my friends actually had to shoot a guy (didn't kill him) while he was jogging through a suburban park about 7 or 8 years ago. The guy was sitting on a picnic table as Joe was jogging by. The guy asked Joe if he knew the time. When Joe told him the time, the guy came at him with a very large hunting type knife. When Joe threw his wallet at the guy, the guy laughed and said he didn't want the money he wanted to kill someone that morning. Joe pulled a .380 semi-auto and shot the guy. During the trial, it was revealed the fellow had been released from a mental institution just a few days before the attack. If my friend were unarmed, he would not be alive today to tell the story.

I pray to God that I never need my firearm. If you were standing on a stream fishing with me, you would never know or suspect that I had one with me. It's not something to go talking about or waving around. However, if you were a crazy who was intent on attacking me, there is a very high probability you would find out that I was armed and knew how to use it. It would probably ruin my life to have to do it and it is not something I would do lightly or without remorse. However, I would much rather live to come home to my wife and son than be another dead victim along side of a road somewhere.

There is no macho paranoia at all. The threat is real. Fortunately, it is quite rare but it is real.

I love my wife and my son. I don't want to leave my wife a widow and my son without a father. I also will not stop fishing because there may be some crazy crackhead running around out there. If God blesses me, I will never need to shoot anything more threatening than a piece of paper or a water filled milk jug. However, if the situation were such that my life were in danger or I was in imminent fear of my life being in danger, I can and will stop the situation the best way I know how. Avoiding, walking away, trying to put distance between myself and the attacker are the first steps. The use of deadly force is always the last resort but one I am willing go engage should all else fail.

Those who choose not to carry firearms are free to do so and I respect that position. I have no issue with it and not everyone can be mentally prepared to use deadly force. As Darrin said, all I would ask is that you not judge me for my decision.

Jeff