A child’s pursuit of happiness….
An ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once stated, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” This sage advice, written about 500 BC, underscores the value of fostering self-reliance over providing temporary solutions. Beyond the aphorism’s timeless social & humanitarian implications, teaching a child to fish offers lasting enjoyment, fostering patience, independence, resilience, and an appreciation for nature. Such experiences create cherished enduring memories.
I don’t recall anyone specifically teaching me how to fish however, the pursuit of new and interesting ways to fish has fed a lifetime of passionate learning.
Angling techniques came naturally and began one windless August day in 1957. At eight years old, I was on a family picnic beside Vancouver Island’s Nitinat Lake, sitting on a brown plaid blanket in a sunny lakeside Alder grove. I remember a wonderful wilderness setting with dragonflies, geese, eagles, songbirds, and fresh air. Then throwing my eyes around, I noticed beads of sunlight glinting off something shiny in a low Alder branch.
It was a small silver trout lure about 1 1/2 inches long, that a hapless fisher lost, entangled in small twigs with about 10 feet of monofilament line. Lunch wasn’t quite ready so without a second thought I untangled the treasure and attached the line to a short willow stick. I then took this rigging onto a makeshift log dock that extended ten or so feet into the lake. I instinctively knew what to do. Lying on my stomach, with willow stick in hand, I jigged the found treasure in the water below. My imagination filled with wild expectations as I peered under the dock watching the action of my fine minnow-like lure. The water was crystal clear, shards of sunshine cast rippling shadows on the bottom two meters below… gravel and sand covered in greenery, bark, and small decaying branches.
Suddenly, a flash of silver darted out from under an adjacent log … I let out a cry of shear surprise…. when the biggest cutthroat trout I had ever seen seized the lure; and the fight was on. It pulled up this way, and down that way, jumped out of the water splashing back in again in a shower. The fish turned, twisted, throwing diamonds of water droplets up to the sun fighting to get free… but to no avail, the ardent adversary and I were firmly hooked together! Finally, the trout relented, and I was triumphant.
At that precise moment, I transitioned from boyhood city life and soccer fields, embarking on a wonderful journey through forest, river, and valley trails, becoming an ardent outdoorsman. The fuse was ignited to a lifelong passion of intrigue, exploring the natural world, filled with wildlife, wonder, grace, and adventure…. A passion to immerse in nature that remain deeply ingrained to this day.
“Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers,” Herbert Hoover.
I learned so much from those early days spent exploring ponds, lakes, streams and rivers. Not only about various types of trout habitat, fishing styles, and techniques, but about life itself. The serene moments, the harsh moments, the gentle ripples, the anticipation of a catch… lessons of joy, patience, hope, and perseverance. Valuable insights fostering an appreciation for the fragile yet wonderfully intricate balance of Mother Nature… instilling patience, self reliance, and respectful being into my private and professional working life. Lessons that began many years ago on a family picnic finding a shiny trout lure entangled in an Alder branch.
Over many seasons trout fishing evolved to be much more than just an outdoor hobby; it transitioned to my way of connecting with family, nature, finding inner peace in a wilderness experience: Sharing the joy of a morning sunrise above Nature’s finest theatre of fresh air, mountains, green leaves, forest trails, watercourses, and wildlife…. Or pausing a cast to admire an awesome sunset during an evening bite!
Ultimately, my joy of trout fishing is captured in the wonderful smile of my grandson Brodee at the beginning of this article…. A moment to cherish for all time; a grandfather connecting with a grandchild in a memory cemented by fresh air, wilderness silence, and pure heartfelt enjoyment, on a remote lake miles hidden in wonderful nature.
The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of that which is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope,” John Buchan.
What happened to the original lure I found so long ago? Well, I kept it in a small tin box for years, with other treasured articles until one fateful day I decided to use it again. Then, in a moment of inattention, I lost it to a distant overhead Alder branch while casting across a slow-moving stream. Hopefully another young person will find the lure, and the magic of the day will cause them to begin their own personal odyssey in the thrilling world of outdoor adventures.
Safe Travels
Gord
Photos © 2024 Christine Patterson