I spent some time at this beautiful little lake this weekend. We were almost at the end of the trail when I spotted this fisherman on the other side of the lake. He looked so serene. I suppose that is why many people love to fish.
When I was young, we did a lot of camping (which is probably why I love being outdoors so much) and I loved going fishing....Well, I loved the quiet peacefulness of it all, being out in the middle of an emerald green lake, the anticipation of that tug on the fishing rod, and the almost-tip-over-the-boat-grab-the-net-fast-it's-a-big-one! part of fishing. But that, for me, is where the fun ended. I just wanted to catch the fish, and then release it, no matter how big he was...that was not my dad's plan, unfortunately for me and for the fish.
The very last time I went fishing was about ten years ago. So here I was, in a little boat with my friends, trolling along the edge of a pristine little lake, my line all the way out, and I'm feeling that anticipation as I wait for that tug on my line...and a tug I felt. A little tug. My friend told me that I was probably snagging the bottom or something. He said I would *know* when there was a fish on the end of my line. Then I felt it again....and again. I pictured my hook dragging along the bottom of the lake, picking up weeds and things, and I wondered if maybe I should bring it in, just in case, but I didn't listen to that little gut instinct. We got all the way to the other end of the lake, and decided to bring the boat to the shore and start a fire. I reeled in my line, and what should be attached to my hook but a wee little fish! I dragged the poor creature from one end of the lake to the other.
I never went fishing again.
I"m with you. I can't fish for fear of what it might do to the poor little creatures.
ReplyDeleteIt is peaceful though...
I always love your landscape shots, so rich in colour :-) I'm with you on the fishing thing, I'm happy to sit on the river bank and observe, but I'll leave the fishing to others!
ReplyDeleteMe too- somebody gave us a fresh fish last week and even though I had nothing to do with the catching or cleaning, when we cooked it all I could think was: this morning he was swimming in a river in Maine. Now he's in my pan :(
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose it's good to think like that all the time though. I love fish but I am not sure I could catch and kill one.
Oh, how sad! I'm with you on this - that would be the end for me. Michael & I went out last year so he could fish, while I read, and on the way to his favorite spot, we came across a boat w/motor on, but no one aboard, just turning in circles, a game warden trying to get to it & shut it off. We prowled around looking for the boat's driver (who, unbeknownst to us, was safely ashore). And then our anchor got stuck & Michael had to dive down & "unstuck" it, which made me very uncomfortable. So I decided that would probably be the last of any fishing adventures for me. Boating I'm all ready for - fishing, no.
ReplyDelete:)
Debi
The metaphor of hooking onto something and then letting it go. So much suffering, and so much freedom. Your stories awaken me to seeing things from another perspective.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story...and this photo...WOW! Beautiful...
ReplyDeleteI have never fished...I've just never been able to do it.:)
xo
awww... poor thing!
ReplyDeletei never fished but that would probably put me off fishing for good.
In the pleasures of a non-conformist, Lin Yutang says,"..the tribe of fishermen are slightly mad, spending a whole day walking through underbush, wading over trecherous boulders and worst of all, spending hours sitting...tense and alert as if one's life depended on it, ..cussing and sighing and mumbling for no discoverable reason.
ReplyDelete" Is it so terribly important to catch a fish? you ask. Probably not, but no less unimportant than most of the trivial activities of grownups who do not know what they are doing anyway...
If the question is asked, "What are you doing in life??"the fisherman can answer it more easily and quickly than the rest of us." I am enjoying life - this gift of living"........
Well, Jaime, nevertheless i remain of your opinion as far as fishing is concerned.
hugs
j
Nb: thanks ....you know for what.
Apparently, it's all about the peace, being in the moment, bonding (if you're with another), and the thrill of that amazing moment when you do catch something. But here's my fishing story: http://piecesofheartvt.blogspot.com/2008/04/when-to-cry-uncle.html.
ReplyDeleteoh! poor wee fish! you didn't mean to hurt it! your photo is stunning with that perfect reflection of the woods over that sleek lake! fishing is an integral part of the way in which my husband's and my relationship was built. i had the best memories from my childhood from a lake visit omy family had in wisconsin. i couldn't have been more that 9 years old. i have the silliest pictures of this event. but anyway it was the very first time i was handed a fishing pole and told what to do with. i stood at the end of this long pier for two days and from dawn to dusk i cast my heart and the bait out into the lake trying each time to make it go further. i had so much fun! so anyway my husband invited me to go fishing with him on one of our first 'dates' and i readily agreed. he thought i was the girlfriend sent from heaven because i could bait my own hook. i pretended to be ok for about the first month and then had to give it up for a lost job realizing that i didn't like it as much as i had remembered. i mostly content myself now with the book reading, bathing suit, napping routine when we are in a fishing boat :) sheesh long story! sorry!
ReplyDeleteyour friend, bird tweet robin from down the road