Gone Fishin'! // I'll Be Out of Cell Range for a Few Days on a Backcountry Trip
Hi Friends!
I'll be heading out of cell range for a few days on a backcountry fishing trip, so I thought I'd show you a few pictures of where I'll be heading and wish you all a lovely weekend!
Imagine being on a lake, floating in the heart of the North Cascade Mountain range. You are surrounding by gorgeous peaks and few people. The only camping is through backcountry permits and there is very limited access to motor boats - so the lake stays nice and serene. The lake only contains native fish - which means it is not artificially stocked every year. This means catches are fewer and further between - but are so worth it when you hook a beautiful rainbow trout.
I can hardly contain my excitement for this weekend! This is one of my favorite places on earth and it always feels like home when I come back.
My Approach to Fishing
I am very conscious of the life of the fish - and treat it with the utmost respect. I use only barbless hooks and quickly release the fish if I am not planning to keep it. I have really studied the most humane way to kill a fish if I do plan to keep it - and do my best to make sure the fish doesn't feel much pain.
I know some of you reading this may wonder how I am able to kill a living entity. I had to really think this over before I started fishing, and realized that there is a certain honor and dignity that you give to that fish by using it as food. You honor it's life by continuing the circle of life.
It would be interesting to hear if any of the other people who fish here on the platform have thought about these things too? Or am I being overly cautious? @brian.rrr, @scottshots? :)
Sharing This Beautiful Place with Friends
@raised2b and I are going with another couple who have never been, but have always wanted to go. We know this lake like the back of our hand and are excited to share it with our friends! We know the best spots, how to best navigate working with the forest service, the best fishing spots and more. There are gorgeous waterfalls, hikes and canyons we can explore while we are there.
The forecast calls for rain tonight though - so wish us luck it just stays cloudy! Waking up to a wet camp and dealing with wet gear is never fun!
The Stunning Views
I can't wait to take loads of video footage to share with you! I have been on this lake many times and so here is a quick photo gallery of a few shots I have taken there over the years!
These photos were all taken on a super old iPhone - and so forgive the poor-ish quality! I'll be bringing you tons of gorgeous shots from the weekend when I come back!
Have a Great Weekend Steemit!
I'll be back sometime on Sunday and look forward to sharing more of my trip then! I hope you all have an awesome weekend and do something fun.
Hey my friend, I hope you have a great trip and sounds amazing! I think your approach is respectful and also sustainable. Being thankful to the fish for giving its life so you can eat is the right way to go about harvesting a catch. I also release nearly all fish I catch as it is the hunt, thrill and journey that make fishing fun. Native, wild trout are a delicate fish so you barbless hooks will really help when they are released... look forwards to seeing the pictures from the trip!
So happy for you that you're taking time away! So, I am on the same page in terms of animals for food. Back in California, we were processing our own flock of hens, but we never underestimated what it was to take a life. There was a gratitude there and a prayer-like meditation. It wasn't taken lightly. My kids know where their food comes from.
I actually had a friend once say, "Those poor birds! Why don't you just buy your meat at the store?" She wasn't joking. There was so much I could have said, but I simply replied that we gave our animals the best life we could and that perhaps if more people did process, raise or catch their own meat then they would have a greater respect for the process and perhaps give up CAFO meats.
Wow, your friend's comment blows my mind! It's not uncommon for people to make ignorant statements like that though. Even though i'm living the apartment life - one day i'd like to have a bit more of a homestead where I grow more of my own food and raise a few animals.
I think the quality of the animal's life is hugely important - not just for ethical purposes, but for health purposes as well. There are so many studies that show grass fed and/or pasture raised animal meat has way lower toxins. On an energetic level, i'd rather not consume meat that was from an animal who lived a life of terror or apathy.
I mostly work with local farmers to get my meat. It's expensive, but worth it.
Sooo cool that your kids are growing up understanding where their food comes from and how to respect the life of the animal. What a great gift to pass on to your kids. :)
Thich Nhat Hanh, in the book "Anger" talks about poultry and I cannot remember the exact quote, but basically that if the hen is mistreated, having their beaks cut off for example so they can't peck each other in the confined quarters, never seeing a blue sky, etc, that when we consume that meat, we take on that energy. Totally makes sense to me!
So to lighten the mood, here'sa story from when we still lived in town, before we were raising our own hens & pigs. My oldest was 3 and we had taught her that milk came from cows, eggs from hens and bacon from pigs, but I guess we hadn't really explained the details well. So one day at breakfast, somehow we were talking about bacon and pork and she says, "Wait, so I'm actually eating pig?" (Yes, she loved the word actually at 3-came out "atoowee") We told her yes. She said, "Ew..." but proceeded to take a big bite while thinking about it and went on to finish the rest of the bacon from the platter. 😁
That looks like such a beautiful and peaceful place! Enjoy your weekend! I’ll be looking forward to the pictures :)
Aww thanks Melody! It ended up being such an incredible trip! I got back yesterday and posted a little teaser video with some of the footage! :)
Wow, wow, wow. This is stunning. I just LOVE lakes, hiking, mountains, waterfalls, valleys, canoeing - the whole bit. It is just so peaceful and wonderful. I am sooooo jealous. What a cool trip! Can't wait to see the photos.
aww you would LOVE it here. The area is so pristine and peaceful. :) I posted a little teaser video yesterday with some of the footage and will be doing a full video re-cap with some pictures soon too!
Awesome photos, especially that rainbow one! Looks like you're about to have a great weekend. I do apologize to the fish every time I keep one but they are just too yummy not to keep sometimes. Quick and humane dispatch is always attempted. And yes, if I were a trout, I'd feel honored to feed a human in the food chain, haha! I hope you and @raised2b have a blast out there, good luck with the fishing!!!
You would LOVE fishing up here! The lake is not stocked, and so it's all wild and native fish - mostly rainbow trout. :) Awesome to hear that you also consider the fish's life when fishing! I think it makes all the difference.
I know this sounds weird, but I almost feel like the fish can feel my intention. When it is flopping around, i'll speak to it in a super calming voice and the fish will usually stop fighting - which lets me get the hook out and return it to the water faster.
I'm sure I would, the area looked awesome in your video! That's cool to hear that the lake doesn't need to be stocked. It's great to catch and release but I hope you guys ate at least one of those rainbows... Interesting about the intentions. That must be why they are never calm for me. They can sense my intentions involve a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon slices... Cheers to a great weekend!
How dare a lake, floating in the heart of the North Cascades, put itself out of cell range! What an inconsiderate mountain range!
Have fun and report back. :)
hahah so rude.
Actually, getting out of cell range for a few days is one of my favorite things in the entire world! It's so refreshing to just unplug from everything for a while.
I got back yesterday and posted a little teaser video with some footage if you are interested in checking it out! :)
wow what an trip comprise of beautiful nature views 😍
Thanks @jassi!! It was such an incredible trip! I got back yesterday and posted a little teaser video of some of the footage. Such a beautiful place!
What a beautiful place! Fishing is part of my work and when I catch a big amount of fish in for example nets I think its really important how you treat the fish! Of course its hard to be perfect and kill or release the fish as quickly as you do but a good plan and picking the fish from the nets into a bucket of water where it can live without suffering until you kill it is pretty much the best I can do. That is also how you get the best quality fish for customers :) unfortunately the low amount of fish in our waters (due to polution and bad bottom quality) is making it pretty hard for the fishermen.
Have a good trip! :)
Ooh interesting that you fish for a living! Awesome to hear that even with large scale fishing like that - you are still being conscious of the fish's life! Crazy to hear how much pollution has affected your water quality - and thus fish quality too.
Good luck Lea! Enjoy :D
Thanks my friend!! It ended up being an awesome trip! Anytime I can get out a cell range for a few days and re-connect with nature is a good weekend. :)
Sounds like a great time you are going to have. I myself had to explore my feelings about the act of taking an animals life for food. It sounds as if you are not doing anything negative by keeping the fish you wish to consume. It is a natural part of life and much less inhumane than buying food at the grocery...which is usually raised in poor conditions and killed without feelings. Hope you had lots of luck on your adventure.
Thanks for giving your thoughts on the subject! I think you are right - it really comes down to intention and being conscious of the animals life too.
Thanks for stopping by!