By Brandy Boutilier
I am an unlikely angler, yet fishing is my passion.
When my son was seven, he asked me to teach him how to fish. There was one problem: I had never fished before or even touched a live fish in my life.
Many of my male relatives were avid anglers, so I asked them for advice. They took me on trips to the lakes of North Frontenac Township, where I watched, asked questions, and learned, albeit slowly.
Our family owns a beef farm in South Frontenac with a small pond. One summer, I got up every morning and fished every day.
The first time I caught a fish, I struggled to free it from the hook. Over time, through daily practice, mentorship, research, and countless hours of shore fishing, I improved.
I fished with anyone willing to teach me. For the past ten years, I have risen at dawn in search of an in-season species. No boat, no fancy lures: just a hook and a soft plastic bait. I tuned in deeply to the environment and read every fishing book I could get my hands on.
At Cancast, I met Canadian author Adam Merrifield, who penned Mighty Smallmouth. After reading it, I headed to a bridge near the house where I was raised. Casting toward a weed bed, I worked a bait across the surface and landed my first smallmouth bass. I was proverbially hooked.
They say it is called fishing, not catching. The hours slip by, and the true benefits of fishing emerge. It is an unadulterated distraction, a chance to immerse yourself in nature and delight in every wild thing you are fortunate enough to see and hear.
Worries wash from the mind, and the nervous system settles. My passion for fishing has grown into an equal love of conservation and education. Many of my favourite fish recipes were created while camping on an island or deep in the backcountry, cooked over an open fire with simple foraged ingredients.
I remain an unlikely angler, but fishing has become integral to my life. As you explore the lakes and rivers of Frontenac, you may find yourself falling in love with it too.