Fishing Partners

Fishing is an interesting sport in that it is both associated with camaraderie and solitude. The lone angler sitting in silence as fog creeps over the surface of a morning lake is just as associated with the activity as a bunch of brother in laws pounding the banks of the same lake while playing “one hook up, one can of beer.” Of course, when the fishing is slow, the rules are usually modified. However, my fishing tends to be as solitary as possible. This is difficult when you’re fifteen, but I like to keep to myself as much as possible when fishing. There is nothing I hate more than having some family of five plopped next to me on a lake, chattering incessantly. This is bad enough when I’m catching more fish than them, but when they limit out in five minutes while I’m waiting for my first bite, things get infuriating. In addition, fishing alone allows me to relax and soak in the environment while also catching a fish or two. When fishing with parents or other relatives from shore on lakes, I try to get as far away from them as possible. When I fish a river with other people, I immediately disappear into the woods to a better spot a quarter mile downstream. Even when fishing from cramped canoes and rowboats with others, I scooch as much as I can to the other side. My overwhelming desire to fish alone has resulted in me completely not going to certain locations. An example is Progress Ridge Lake in Tigard, Oregon. Located right next to a shopping mall twenty minutes from my house in Beaverton, and with fishing for trout and catfish nearly year round, it seemed perfect. Of course, there was the proximity to the mall. And the mere 300ft of legal fishing shoreline to cast from. And no boats. And the article posted by the Oregonian going on and on about how great it was for local fishing. It got so bad that when I arrived one morning at six a.m., there were already people shoulder to shoulder on the banks, and several other people waiting for an open spot. By the time one guy told me to “get out of my f***ing spot, you little c***,” I knew this place was over.

Thankfully, most of the Mt. Hood lakes and streams are relatively difficult to access, and the places that are have ample space to get away from the crowds. Of course, there are exceptions. There was the one time where these three people were fishing a hole on a small stream that I visit often. They had not moved in fifteen minutes, so I cast my fly out and noisily ripped it from the water a foot in front of their waders. They got the message.

Pretty much how I am in those situations

Now, one would think that someone as antisocial as me would have a fishing partner, but I soon learned that they’re practically a necessity. You need someone with you at all times for safety reasons, but having someone other than your parents can be a welcome relief when fishing. Of course, my options were limited. Most of my friends and acquaintances hated fishing. The people who did I hated for other reasons, which will remain unsaid. The only option that remained was Alex.

You might remember this guy from the story where he beats a fish senseless with a net and scares away a trophy trout. Since then, I have been fishing with him several more times. He is no expert when it comes to fishing, though. He once fought a "fish" for five minutes until it turned out to be a tree......BEHIND him. On another occasion, I asked him if he knew how to clean a fish. He said yes. Upon him saying that, I handed him a stringer of trout and told him I needed to rinse off the boat. Fifteen minutes later, I came back and Alex was hosing them off with the sink shower. 

I guess I'll stick with solitude.