An Outdoor View: Fishing buddies

You rarely find “fishing buddy” listed as a necessity in a how-to article about fishing, but a buddy is every bit as necessary as tackle or technique.

Recalling all the times when patience and persistence paid off for me, a buddy was there every time. When it’s cold and windy, when the only things biting are flies, fishing with only yourself for company can be torture. With no one to provide distraction, you tend to fret about the icicles hanging from your nose. You find yourself worrying about petty things, such as losing the feeling in your fingers and toes. A buddy will entertain you and distract you from thinking about what you could be doing if you were in your nice, warm home. He or she will keep you fishing long enough for something to change, hopefully for the better.

Besides providing distractions, buddies can give you most of what you need. Without buddies and their pickup trucks, my clamming trips to the beaches at Ninilchik would’ve been few, instead of many. Without buddies, I never would’ve launched my 14-foot skiff in the surf at Deep Creek and got into some great halibut and salmon fishing, or got so many scary stories to tell my grand-children.

Before a buddy becomes a buddy, there’s a first time. It’s like going on a blind date. You find yourself thinking, “Is this someone I want to go out with again? Can I trust him to take me out without having to try to swim to shore? What was I thinking?” When too many “dates” turn bad, it can turn you against fishing with anyone.

Finding a good fishing buddy is like finding a good fishing hole: They’re hard to find, and the best ones are already taken. I long ago gave up trying to find a buddy who felt the same way about things that I do. If such an animal exists, I probably wouldn’t want to spend much time with him. Having differing opinions about things makes conversations lively. If you voted for Obama, it’s not as much fun to needle your buddy about being a Democrat.

Some guys use fishing as an escape, not so much to the wilds, but from their wives and kids. Some of these probably have a fishing buddy or two that their wives can’t stand. Having this guy along ensures that she won’t be along, yet another purpose for fishing buddies.

Don’t get me wrong. Women can be wonderful fishing buddies. After you’ve lived with one for a while, she’ll give you few surprises of the unpleasant kind. In an emergency, you know whether she’ll scream like a little girl and faint, or wrap a bungee cord around your neck to stop the bleeding. In good times and bad, you know what to expect from your woman, her capabilities, how she’ll react. Right up front, you’ll know if she can bait her own hook, or if you have to do it for her. You know if you can trust her to shoot a big halibut without putting a hole in the boat, or in you. If you fall overboard, you’ll have some idea of what she’ll do by way of rescuing you.

When you find a good fishing buddy, don’t take him or her for granted. Nurture your good buddies as if they were your closest friends, which they may well become. Accept their weaknesses, appreciate their strengths and thank them often. Without them, fishing just wouldn’t be the same.

Les Palmer can be reached at les.palmer@rocketmail.com.

More in Life

Paetyn Wimberly performs “The Christmas That I Know” during the 23rd Annual Christmas Lights and Holiday Nights Skating Recital at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Skating in the park with Santa

The Soldotna Parks and Recreation Department will host another holiday open skate on Tuesday, Dec. 31

AnnMarie Rudstrom, dressed as the Ghost of Christmas Present, reads Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at The Goods in Soldotna, Alaska, on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Reading of ‘A Christmas Carol’ warms a winter night at The Goods

The full text of the book was read live at the store across two weeks

tease
Baking family history

This recipe is labeled “banana fudge,” but the result is more like fudgy banana brownies

tease
Off the Shelf: Nutcracker novel sets a darker stage

“The Kingdom of Sweets” is available at the Homer Public Library

Nick Varney
Unhinged Alaska: The little tree that could

Each year I receive emails requesting a repeat of a piece I wrote years ago about being away from home on Christmas.

The mouth of Indian Creek in the spring, when the water is shallow and clear. By summertime, it runs faster and is more turbid. The hand and trekking pole at lower left belong to Jim Taylor, who provided this photograph.
The 2 most deadly years — Part 6

The two most deadly years for people on or near Tustumena Lake were 1965 and 1975

Luminaria light the path of the Third Annual StarLight StarBright winter solstice skiing fundraiser at the Kenai Golf Course in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Winter solstice skiing fundraiser delayed until January

StarLight StarBright raises funds for the Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society

File
Minister’s Message: The opportunity to trust

It was a Friday night when I received a disturbing text from… Continue reading

tease
Peanut butter balls for Ms. Autumn

This holiday treat is made in honor of the Soldotna El secretary who brings festive joy

Most Read