A tranquil lake. The sound of rippling water. Waves lulling you to sleep as they slap against the sides of your small boat. The sound of leaves rustling in some far off distance. The smell of damp earth. A moment later, a sharp tug at the end of the pole is felt. Man then pits his strength and cunning against one of nature's most slippery creatures. Ah, the joys of fishing.

But then, not all people have the time nor the inclination to travel a long way to experience said joys. Fear not. I present to you, computer fishing games!

With the vast technological advancements we are enjoying right now, the world of the computer fishing game has become more fun, more exciting and more challenging.

Change is brought about by the advent of such features such as a wide variety of fishes to choose from, realistic actions and events, cool underwater scenes and beautiful color displays. The player is introduced to lifelike sound effects and an interesting assortment of game equipment.

The appearance of the life like fishing rod used as the game controller revolutionized the scene. With sensors mounted on the ends, the player can actually feel the vibrations and forces acting upon his line as the virtual fishes struggle to break loose from his hook's trap.

Indeed, virtual fishing has come from a long way. From the old DOS discs to the dynamic game consoles we have today, the industry of computer fishing games may have faltered a few times but for now, it's still going strong.

Let's take a look back at the path virtual fishing has taken.

1. Gone Fishing by William Engel
Made by Radio shack in 1977 for the TRS 80 Model I, Gone fishing is the first of its kind.

2. Fishing Derby by David Crane
This game was next as Atari launched the first fishing game with any hint of realism. Using a color display and blocks, the Fishing Derby was played using an Atari Joystick.

3. Fishing by Gakken
LCD/LED was introduced to the scene by Japan. In 1981, Gakken released it's small, electronic, hand held fishing game.

4. Virtual Fishing (1997)
In the middle of the 1990's, computer monitors leveled up. They became bigger, clearer and more colorful. Graphics became more and more realistic and appealing. Fishing games, of course, upped their standards by producing better quality games for the DOS interface.

5. TNN Tournament of Champions
Made for the consoles Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, the TNN Tournament of Champions was made using help from various professional fishermen and manufacturers of tackles.

6. Sega Bass Fishing Duel
With the release of Playstation 2, Sega launched the Sega Bass Fishing Duel last 2002. The use of joysticks heightened the fun as vibrations and shakes were included in the features.

7. Wireless Fishing Games
Using their cell phone, the player can choose of lure and a location anywhere in Japan and try to catch the fishes. A ring or a vibration of his phone would signal a catch.

The arrival of newer and more sophisticated game consoles would probably never end. Thus, the market for games such as fishing games will always be open for developers as the market demands more from them. The evolution of computer games therefore, from the ancient Gone Fishing to high end virtual simulators, will continue and will still be enjoyed by adult and youngsters alike for a long time to come.