Ode to the Pike Fisherman by Ioana Alexe
Ever since I know myself, I've wanted to have friends who I know have been friends with for a lifetime. Maybe because I don't have brothers, maybe I wanted a brotherhood, a camaraderie. Or maybe it's because I've always imagined my life as an adventure at sea, broken ashore, on my way to something else, with a few people. And what people to take to the sea if not friends? That's what I read in all the good books, from the Bible to Sardinian Street. Then came the pike fishing.
From pike fishing to Noica reading
I realized early on, from the adventure books, looking around, doing an apprenticeship, that men live a parallel life, different from the one we live between us. If there is anything harmonious about me it is only because of the long line of men who had a real influence on me, a chaotic mix of authors, grandparents, tragic characters from Russian literature, comic book heroes, essayists and philosophers, simple people met on the road , teachers and friends. All my youth I was obsessed with his thought noice to go to a school where moods are taught and I have always sought to become a disciple of such a teacher. I've been a few times. From the men I met I learned confidence, a sense of adventure, humor and most of all passion.
The pike-sensitive men's clan
And I have to admit that I always looked with a little envy at all the freedoms that boys have and I broke the line that says what "must" to worry a girl as many times as I could! The adventure of pike fishing was one of those borders that I stepped on with admiration but also with a little pride. I mean, why can't I? I am more technical than the vast majority of the boys around me, more analytical, more informed and more attentive to detail. Plus I don't even drink much. Well, I never managed to compete on a par with them, but I had time, in the many moments when I didn't catch it, to look around and observe. I've been in this select pike fishing club for a while and I'm back to tell you what I saw.
Happiness is a small thing in pike fishing
If you ask them why they go fishing you will receive many answers: to be found, no, to be lost, because it is quiet, because their father took them when they were little, because they want to run away, because they can drink quietly, because they are between them or because they simply like to fish. The magnanimity and the impulse to protect things smaller and more fragile than him would be good to make him let go of his partner who made him happy for a few moments. Even when he doesn't catch it, he can't be unhappy because he knows that he will come next time. In the end, a man who is fishing can be happy and that is a rare thing. I think I go fishing because it's a place where emotions are allowed, they are between them, they can compete, they can detach or respect and it's ok to do that. But most of all they laugh at each other without getting upset, on the contrary, they become closer friends! Imagine, ladies, that we make fun of our weaknesses, swear at each other in a friendly way, surprise each other in delicate moments, and become friends more… could you?
I have no regrets…
This species is so different from us he can dream of huge fish, he can find refuge on the sea and he can spend his whole life there. Books have been written and films made about it. The truth is that there are not so many situations in which the man can be a man on the waterfront when he has to find solutions to catch what he does not see. Only his imagination is at the end of the line. And have you seen what the imagination looks like, how bright the ghosts are, what colors, what waters? They have a blind belief that nature will work for them, they are just their masters, right? As I write this, I remember a scene at the Egreta pontoons when, after a sleet in which it rained heavily and I was sitting with my feet in a boat with 30 cm of water, grumpy and full of nerves, two happy boys came. with the boat maximizing Piaf's "Je ne regrette rien". That's when I realized I was missing out on the basics: joy!
Fishermen relaxing in pike fishing
There is a category that seems easy. I don't know if that's the case, but it seems so. I hope there are people in the world who are lucky. It is a pleasure to watch them: they are relaxed, they trust them, they are cheerful and popular. In the evening before a competition they will not have to worry about going to bed, they will all drink, they will wake up drunk and still happy, they will be the first to start and they will catch well, they will have fun and come to the shore even more relaxed than they were. They will be so dissatisfied with the eyes of the world that they will not boast of themselves, but the reality is that they really know how to relax.
Pluto in pike fishing
I have a friend who always apologizes to the platoon. "I mean, without those of us who come to have fun and don't take ourselves seriously, the elite couldn't be the elite," he always says. He has long dreamed of forming a club called PLUTON. I spent a lot of time in this secret society of relaxed aspirants. It's very comforting when men have humor and don't take themselves very seriously. The status of this club was: I can tell you exactly where the fish is not because I've been to all those places! How can you not be proud of such a noble mission! Without our sacrifice, the champions should waste their time on this as well.
Fishermen dissatisfied with pike fishing
Of course, they are constantly opposed by the dissatisfied. They are adorable if they don't jump on the horse and don't spoil everyone's mood. They are shocked that the thread is tangled, they forgot something important at home, the engine did not work again (the truth is that they are unlucky; I noticed that, in dissatisfaction, the engine always drowns, the wine also ends). What's cool about men is that they don't judge and don't upset each other. The boat partner may trip over the lure box and drop it into the water. He can throw the best rod in the reeds and no one will get mad at him. There is no such thing in girls: we would kill ourselves for much less!
Fishermen friends in pike fishing
There are still friends. This is a very cool category. It works for them because they know each other well, they feel so good together that the whole universe is working on their success. Everyone has fun in the boat, but no one like them. They are prepared with extra drink and ice, have glass cups and turn into floating mini bars, especially in training when the fish do not eat. They have the best stories, in which just when they gave up stressing that the fish did not shoot they joked about a wobbler that they forgot in the water, and when they looked better, the fish was caught alone :)) Over the years we have suffered everything: we have forgotten things, we have been broken, we have not had what we need, etc. Each time the help came immediately, often from those I knew the least. Are these guys it seems like he's always ready to do something for you without even asking you.
Intellectual fishermen in pike fishing
Then there are the intellectuals of the pond who come wanting to seriously discuss the problems in the championship, the affairs of the clubs, measures, projects, etc. They look disappointed when the conversation goes elsewhere, they have a slightly critical look at the effervescence of the bah and they go to bed early. Most of the time, despite an impeccable organization, in the morning of the start something goes wrong, something is missing. Usually, a colleague saves them, one of the above relaxations.
Serious anglers in pike fishing
Serious fishermen they are often the ones for whom fishing is a business. It's natural to be sober, they look like they're at the office. It is obvious that it is not easy to get and keep sponsorships, to be present, to produce material, content. I know from my own experience that, in the long run, turning your passion into daily work makes the passion not exactly the same. There are still disappointments, sometimes you get tired along the way, you start to think that maybe you don't even know if you still like it as much.
Lonely fishermen fishing for pike
The lonely. Well, I don't know much here. It's something I never did because I didn't get the chance. I like the idea, he alone and the sea, he alone with his decisions and thoughts. The stories he brings from the boat must be fantastic not because he would invent them, but because when you are alone with him, many truths are revealed to you. All lonely people should write, keep a diary and publish it rarely, sometime when the curious and sociable start to get a little irritated. Lonely people know something we don't know about time and about ourselves. In the boat of every loner there should be a diary that the rest of us should consult from time to time.
Group fishermen fishing for pike
I've never liked large groups of people, and I've always avoided them all. The only group that convinced me and that I'm happy to be a part of is just that. Okay… I feel like I'm a bit of an intruder who doesn't look perfect. That's probably why I like being a discreet observer. I haven't had a chance to see the boys in their element on any other occasion. No, not at the ski, not at the gym, not even at the pub. And no, they're not big kids, they're more than that. They are very close to each other through a happy, dynamic and deep friendship at the same time. Do you know the way members of a band look when they play? This is the connection that would be difficult for them to describe: it is a special, deeply masculine energy. So it is with fishing.
If you're wondering why I wrote all of the above now, well, I did it because a friend recently reminded me of a lesson I forgot: if you can tell someone a good thing, if you admire him and his efforts do not go unnoticed, it's good to tell him!
3 Comments
Very nicely written, Ioana. I'm waiting for the blog, like I said. Maybe she'll persuade other ladies to go for this hobby.
Andy, thanks for the popularization!
Yes, Ioana writes in a unique way, after we hit her hard we will have a special blog.
Very strong article, bravo!