Field Notes from Jess ~ Rewilding in 2022 | Week 3/52 | Winter
Jan 16, 2022
Field Notes from Jess:
Rewilding 2022 Week 3/52
Operation Integration ~ Sunset Catch
I've had the great fortune to cast a line in rivers, reservoirs, high mountain lakes and ocean shores. My new species list is growing as well as my confidence as an angler.
My name is Jess and I love fishing.
Pulling up a beautiful yellow perch while ice fishing Cascade Lake in Idaho was the gateway to opening my mind on the possibilities of harvesting food from wild places. My heart will always be so grateful to Scott with Silhouette Outdoors for taking me under his wing and introducing me to this way of life. That first experience was only 2 years ago.
Fast forward to last weekend.
Through my training with Earthwalk Northwest and the Path of the Hunter mentorship program, our weekend course was titled, "A-Z Fishing". Guest instructor Mike Isaac taught two days of foundational practices and fishing 101 basics. He covered a whirlwind of information including fish identification, terminology, rod actions, reels, lines, knots, fly casting, fly tying, lures and where to fish in Washington as well as the natural cycles and fish migrations. I made my own lure, practiced casting on a fly rod and even made a "slinky", a snag free sinker solution and alternative to lead (Cool angler lingo) - see pics.
I returned home with my head full and my mind needing an integration. After tackling all things Monday, I grabbed my spinning rod and drove just 10 minutes to a local lake that has year-round fishing. I arrived just an hour before sunset. Just enough time to get my trout set-up dialed in and watch the changing colors of the evening sky while casting out my offering. I learned about "Power Bait" and garlic oil from my weekend training and was excited to give it a shot!
Just as I was losing light I caught a nice sized rainbow trout. You can watch the action on my latest IG Reel @jess_wildkindacademy. I still get that excited every time I catch a fish! After field dressing from the dock using the light from my phone, I drove home, walked in my front door and made trout for dinner.
Operation integration successful 
