I have been fishing for 52 yrs. I can thank my father for introducing me to this activity, he was my first guide and worm digger. I don't think I ever found out how he got interested in fishing, and its impossible for me to ask him now.
At first I fished for the excitement and thrill of the "hunt" and the kill, similar to my early experiences with guns. I started with bait-casting reels and was glad to switch over to spinning when that became available. I have never fly-fished and I look forward to taking that up in the near future.
Today I fish for the connection to the environment, and, importantly, for the food. I only eat fish that I catch, and only if that fish is healthy. I stop when I have enough fish within the limit, since I favor fresh fish over frozen. I don't "sport-fish" anymore because I don't want to stress a fish that I'm not going to kill for food. Also, as I've written earlier, I use all of the fish as food (minus scales and entrails)and I have many wonderful recipes; preparing and cooking the fish is part of my sport.
I guess I'm just a life-long fisherman. All my friends and family know this; its part of my essence, and I only hope I'll be able to continue surf-fishing for a long, long time.