My dad a huge fan of fishing. It was of his dad hobbies like guns, electronics, and cars. While I've noticed women tend to have the sole hobby of shopping, men tend to develop outdoors and tech related passions.
My dad was never seen without his cargo pocket fishing vest. It had velcro flaps, netted pockets, and a keyring at the zipper. It's the common uniform of older (from Asia) Asian men, as I've seen it on many a Japanese, Korean, and Chinese dad. I guess they like to be prepared with their Kleenex, meds, and Tiger Balm in easily accessible pockets.
Redondo Beach Pier, late 70s.
I like to think he fished because it reminded him of the coastal town in Taiwan where he grew up.
On a boat, early 90s.
While I was in high school, my parents would frequently take day fishing trips off the San Pedro shore. They once came home riled up about how one of their fishing friends had caught a baby shark.
Like my mom, he was never the kind of person to just have one of anything. He had quite a collection of fishing poles. We used to have twice as many but over the years my mom would give them to friends and relatives who asked. After a while she hid them in the master bedroom jacuzzi because she was tired of the fishing pole mooching.