What It’s Like to Fish

A short fish story

Fishing. What is the point of it?

It’s a little like golf. If you’ve never tried it yourself, it may be difficult to understand the attraction.

I learned how to fish from my husband who not only loves it but, like an artist affectionately mentoring an apprentice, enjoys teaching me the craft of it.

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.”

– E.O.Wilson

Fishing is not a matter of randomly dropping a string into a body of water. It requires the understanding of appropriate equipment and the subtle differences in line weight and lures according to multiple factors. What does your fish like to eat? Maybe it is territorial and cranky, looking to challenge your imitation foe. In which part of the water does it like to chill? Get into the mind of your slippery friend and understand what motivates it.

“Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better.”

– Albert Einstein

Today we are Pickerel (a.k.a. Walleye) fishing in a remote northern area of Alberta. On our short walk to the boat there are so many freshly hatched fairy-like fishflies in the air we had speak in mumbles to keep them out of our mouths. The four of us are giddy as the boat slices through the still water. The sun is warm, the wind is cool, the rods are quaking in anticipation of their work.

An authentic hunter and fisher’s goal is not to hold dominance over nature. The point is to find a stride with nature, to understand her and to harvest as kindly and accurately as possible. With gratitude, always with gratitude to the lovely creature for offering itself up.

We chit chat lightly, the lured hooks are dropped and we wait. It does not take long for one of us to get the first nibble.

Pickerel are pretty gentle fighters but there is no doubt when they grab your bait. You let out a brief burst of joy as you set the hook with a quick upward jerk. Then reel as you lower your rod tip, pull up again gently, lower your rod tip and reel, over and over, keeping the tension as the fish wiggles towards you.

One of your fishing partners helps retrieve it from the hook as gently as possible as discussion takes place on classifying this fish. Is it large enough for dinner? Or does it exceed the length limit and need to be returned to the water according to your conservation license?

It is a good day. All four of us get multiple bites most of which result in successful landings.

I’m waiting for my next bump on the line when I see a large white silhouette in the distance – a pelican is sunning on the shore. A loon couple fly overhead and land like a pair of float planes just beyond us.

We burst into laughter as someone adjusts their pants while their fishing rod does a dance – this was not a Pickerel on the line but something stronger and meaner, a creature more than this line was meant for and it snaps. We’ve reached our catch limit and point our boat homewards, giggling over our malfunctions and trickery of the odd snagged line.

Mouths water as we go over dinner plans, understanding the privilege of eating our own fresh caught Pickerel that is otherwise quite cost prohibitive in store. We revel in the fact that at 10pm we are still able to easily fish in full light at this 55th parallel north.

These are the ingredients of a good fishing trip, the alchemy is created within the immersion. Absorbing nature with all five senses, you feel a sense of belonging and deep gratitude.

Fishing rewards you not only with dinner. You are given the gift of an emotional reset. Life regains perspective.