The Dirty Gut Derby
14 July 2010, early morning
Casey invited me up to his cottage for a weekend long fishing derby. Being an organized young man, invitations went out almost a year ago. I guess that’s how you make sure people keep their schedules clear.
I started talking shit about my fishing prowess more or less a year ago as well:
My family is from a peninsula on a fucking Island. It almost seems unfair to compete. This is pretty much how I spend my weekends.
Of course, none of my family can swim. Apparently Jaffna Tamils are too busy trying to get their children to become doctors to bother going swimming in the ocean. Last month I confirmed I was going to make it up to the cottage with the following quip:
I actually broke my leg on purpose to give myself a handicap.
Sadly, my trash talking didn’t actually help with my fishing. My first outing out on the rocks of the Ottawa river resulted in one broken bobber, and one lost at sea. During my second round of fishing, on the dock at Casey’s cottage, I managed to tangle the line of my rod and then proceed to tangle the line of Tyler’s rod. My third attempt at fishing in the evening resulted my fishing line getting tangled up in a tree. (I did manage to untangle myself from the tree, which felt like a real accomplishment.) Unfortunately, I tangled up my line the next time I tried to cast off. I’m not entirely sure how.
I was all set to retire from the competition when Matt decided to try and untangle my line. He decided that his new mission was to make sure I catch at least one fish. My line was so tied up he quickly moved on from trying to untangle it to cutting the line and getting me set up again. It was dusk so he quickly ended up covered in mosquito bites, but my fishing rod was ready for action. I cast off one last time, and moments later I saw my bobber dip in the water. I had apparently caught something. I reeled in the fish for what felt like a long time: it was a battle. At this point I realized that I don’t actually know what to do after you’ve caught the fish. Sean, who was currently building our camp fire, came over to see what was up. It turns out the tension on my fishing line was super low; he adjusted that and the reeling in process went a lot quicker. Sean was also there to actually pick my fish up out of the water, hang on to it while I snapped a picture, get the hook out, and throw it back in the water. I caught a cat fish. It was a team effort.
You didn’t talk about how you wore shorts! :o
by sh!ma on July 14 2010, 9:38 am #
This is a story about fishing.
by ramanan on July 14 2010, 9:50 am #
Whatever, I think it adds to the story.
by sh!ma on July 14 2010, 10:25 am #
What a riveting account!
The shorts suit you. It’s summertime, man.
by matthew on July 14 2010, 10:57 pm #
Immigrant parents need to teach their kids how to swimming.
(FYI: I use your blog like my own personal blog space.)
by sh!ma on July 15 2010, 11:06 am #
Why don’t you bring your blog out of retirement. Not that I care too much about Guerrilla Blogging.
by ramanan on July 15 2010, 11:07 am #
I like the last post on my blog.. It reminds me to get my act together and finish up the project.
by sh!ma on July 15 2010, 11:16 am #
I love shima’s last blog post.
Also, the Cousins need to learn how to swim. Otherwise we will never have a Cousin Cottage Getaway.
Please implement a Cousin Swimming Program after you’ve launched CousinNet and the Cousin Hot Breakfast Program and the Cousin Welfare Program.
by m on July 15 2010, 12:38 pm #
I’m willing to teach the cousins how to swim. But you can also go to your local Y. They have adult swimming lessons.
by sh!ma on July 15 2010, 1:43 pm #
Ram the question is Did you have fun at the cottage? The main thing is you went away someplace different. Catfish way to go. I went fishing once and my hook went into my hand. Hurt like hell.
The Local YMCA does Adult Swimming Lessons. The North York YMCA Adult Lessons are on our Karate Nights Everyone should learn how to swim. You are never too old to learn. Maybe Shima (if you ask her nicely) will join you to keep you company.
by Fran on July 15 2010, 1:50 pm #
Come to think of it, it sort of disturbs me that you spent any time at all outside of an urban environment.
About the Cousin adult swimming lessons – I suspect that all the Cousins who want to know how to swim already know how to swim. I will write a new section in our Terms of Reference that says all Cousin events around water must include Shima so she can fish us out when things go awry.
by m on July 15 2010, 2:43 pm #