This week I traveled to Ontario, Canada for the very first time to go fishing with my boyfriend, Jack, and his sweet family at the beautiful Lac Seul. A week of many new experiences and knowledge - I had never gone boat fishing before. The lake is grand and surrounded by islands of swaying trees, tall grass, cawing seagulls and smooth pebbles and sand so smooth you would think you've cruised into an ocean from the docks of our cabin site. We stay on the water from 8 am - 6 pm giving me an incredible amount of time to digest the beautiful views whilst also engaging with the fishing activities at hand.
The water body is filled with what seems like millions of fish ranging from bass, walleye, pike, perch and musky fish. Our fisherman guide not only knew the specialized techniques and bait that commonly caught each type of fish, he and the other guides had a handle on the entirety of the lake. They've recorded, logged and shared data amongst each other and other fishermen on common fishing sites since 1998.
Today, we sought to catch walleye to make lunch on the beach for the morning starting at the blue point on the map headed slightly east. During the afternoon, we made our way up north where bass fish are typically found. According to our guide, at this time of the year bass are found near the shorelines of different sites in the lake due to spawning season. Unfortunately, because there was no service available anywhere on the lake, I was unable to pin point the specific locations of each site on the map. Though I was able to find out the names of each site as we traveled along the northern islands closer to the center of the lake.
The Bass Sites!!
The Claw was an amazing site. By the the time we 'anchored' the boat, the grey storm that had graced the sky that morning had drifted into clouds of pure white sea foam and blue thanks to the billowing winds all around us.
Beneath it was the shoreline in which the bass lay which we were quite eager to try catching. Here, the bass were quiet, though the pike were lively and quite interested in our bait. We weren't successful in catching any bass here. Upon asking about the location's name, the guide explained the first person that discovers an island and catches a 'master anglers award' gets to name the site! I wondered what it would be like to discover an island. We headed towards the second site though, still hoping to catch a bass.
Island East of Kate's had a very rocky shoreline. With all the wind from the passing storm, I wondered if the fish were getting tossed back and forth underwater like our boat was. Our guide told us to aim near the big boulder in the water, he said fish like to 'chill out' there. I imagined what a bass chilling out would look like. Jack ended up catching two bass here, though he let me reel one up saying he "wanted me to have a chance at catching a bass too". I'm not sure that it counts, but it's sweet, so I guess I did!
The Lion's Den might've been my favorite bass site of all of those we visited today. It's sheer beauty is a memory I will never forget. The pillowy white cotton candy clouds, the breeze blowing slightly harsh but free as the trees and grass dance together in it. It made me wonder what the fish see when they are underwater, and if they like it as much as I like the world around me above water. You tend to think a lot about these things when you're waiting for a catch! Unfortunately for Jack and I, we ended up continuing to catch pike and walleye despite using bass bait and fishing techniques. I really didn't mind either way. I ended up taking with me the most beautiful memories of romance, reverence and wonder of life and earth in a way I never expected to gain from this: Bass fishin'!
This is such a charming moment. Your description made me smile. And yes, it totally counts. You caught that bass together.
ReplyDeleteHi! I appreciate that you added videos along with your other forms of documentation. Being able to see the flow of the water and how it clashes with the surrounding rocks helped to immerse myself in your experience. I thought it was interesting that you were able to also include facts told to you by the locals, as it helps showcase the social territory you were focusing on. If possible, I would have loved to see a clip or photo of when you were reeling in the fish!
ReplyDeleteHi Marianna, It is actually funny how you were in Ontario, Canada, because currently I am really close to that area in Squaw Lake, Minnesota and my family visits there almost all the time. I really liked how you went a very different direction with this walk, with being almost more in nature than in cities or in a big social area, but still in an area with some social territories. I really like how you talk about the locals sharing tricks and different stuff with you on your trip. I think something that I would have maybe liked to see was more detail on your map, just to see more of the location you are in and what lake you were fishing at and the town you were staying at, that would have been interesting instead of only the larger area you were in. Also, maybe the locations of the areas where you caught fish, maybe? Just some ideas you could think about!
ReplyDeleteHi, I loved reading about your adventure to Canada! Although I've never been, your videos, pictures, and descriptions give me a great look into their wildlife and fishing social territory. You did a lot of reflecting on the fish, which just shows that you were out there for a long time! It really does show that you were getting into the mindset of a fisherman through silence and patience. I found it funny how you were also getting into the mind of the fish. As a designer, I would've loved to see the layout and graphics of the fishing manual. I think this would've helped characterize the overall vibe of the social territory.
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