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By Mark Zeiger, September 12, 2014

“I haven’t caught a fish in at least two weeks!” I complained to our neighbor, Nancy.

She had just eased up alongside the rock on which I stood, casting into the swiftly flowing current she’d pushed through in her kayak on her way to her property north of us. When she paddled within speaking distance, she had told me of seeing fish jump on her way around the peninsula. I’d seen a few, too, in the last day or so, but, like the one she’d seen, they were too far out in the fjord for my lure to reach.

I’ve been so focused on getting in the winter firewood, I haven’t fished much at all recently. The few times I did, I’d gotten skunked. I’d only started casting shortly before Nancy arrived. Pessimistic and surrounded by a cloud of biting flies, I didn’t plan to keep up the effort much longer. Components of my planned meal for the evening simmered on the wood stove; I didn’t really need a fish to complicate dinner plans.

But, as Nancy continued on her way, I shifted position on the rocks to throw a few casts into the eddy in front of the cabin, where fish might choose to rest before striking out once again against the current.

On the second cast, something struck my lure and fought back hard. Continue reading 'The Power of Self Pity'»

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By Mark Zeiger, August 11, 2012

Yesterday morning I commented that I had not seen any salmon jumping for a couple of weeks. Shortly after that, we began to see them jumping inside our bight. When the fish run, we see a few jump within casting distance now and then, but on this day, they seemed to jumping every few seconds, very close to shore.

We had other projects planned for the day, and a dinner menu that didn’t include fresh fish. But, as Michelle pointed out, homestead life demands flexibility, so I rushed down to the edge of the rocks with a fishing pole and landing net like a child unexpectedly released from school on a sunny day.

I cast, and had a strike before I could set the reel. With polarized sunglasses, I could see my prey, a good-sized salmon through the clear water. Unfortunately, I also saw the height of the tide; it wasn’t good. Continue reading 'Angler’s Heartbreak'»