HOOK

60 HOOK MAGAZINE | 2024 Careful anglers approach slowly, watching waters for rings and things revealing Na- ture's cards. Summer's southwest breezes through shady spots for casting at shadows are fine angler moments which help us ap- preciate such fortune to fish the Hudson River Valley. With many options for species and locations, fisherfolk can choose to drive or hike to reach waters making them the happiest. Some are stocked with hatch- ery fish, some with challenges of finding fish wild and free. Some first considerations may be where to go and what to take. Will you fish from bench or stream? Will you re- lease or season your catch? These days, few treats are sweeter than those pan-fried fillets, but pressures are increasing on many species, including ours. Each fishing day is an opportunity with choices; practicing catch and release is an easy art that saves fish; the best release is a soaking wet one and that takes practice. Keeping fish in the water while you fish for your phone allows them to recover from the stress of being caught. It also affords you time to appreciate their beauty as they slide side to side, waiting for your open hand to set them free. Take the moment to savor your success and one of Nature's lovely creations. A successful release keeps a day in balance. Raised in hatcheries for our angling pleasure and some population support, stocked fish are bred in captivity, rising for mechanical timers of pellet food. Wild fish are free to roam, though often limited by stream connectivity congested by ancient impoundments and defunct Colonial dams. Stocked fish, like trout, are often a put- and-take fishery, with survival compacted by bird and terrestrial predation and a slow demise from increasing heat. They may feed your hunger for tight lines but they likely won't feed you well. Keeping a few for the pan is fine when populations are robust although their flavors are often flat for lack of wild proteins. Some cast iron family recipes, brined and dried then sa- vored over apple or alder wood, surely fuel us with memories. Maybe the best plan is an altered one, taking you past those park benches, with rod tips down, along dusty trails under beeches and shagbark that lead to trickles of opportunity, where moments of calm and anticipation can change anyone's perspective. On your hike home, what will you see in your creel? Is it a stocked rainbow, who lost such vivid luster or is it a rainbow you recall when wading banks along a stretch of moving waters, absorbed in the timeless repetition of casting and wishing? Wherever you roam, fishing restores the soul, releasing fish restores stocks, and a wild fish restores our belief in magic. www.fishwrapwriter.com ON FISHING Text by Todd Corayer AKA The Fish Wrap Writer When targe5ng some of the biggest residents, for example the mighty musky, one may choose to use some large baits such as the "Poseidon". Local muskies are apex predators, o%en reaching lengths of over 50 inches and weighing in at over 30 lbs. known in popular culture as the "fish of ten thousand casts," muskies are, to many, like mythical creatures to be spoken of with great admira- 5on but seldom if ever to be seen. It is possible that for this reason, several baits designed for target- ing muskies are named a%er char- acters and creatures from Greek and Scandinavian mythology. Baits named Poseidon, Pegasus, and kraken are a staple in every seri- ous musky fisher person's tackle box. For me, being on the water is a reward of its own. There is some- thing about the rhythmic rocking of a kayak or boat, the sound of the waves breaking against the shore, the birds singing, and the leaves rustling in the wind that re- laxes the mind, soothes the body, and takes one on a journey away from the day to day rou5ne. Some of the calmest and most special moments in my life have hap- pened on the waters. One does not need to travel across the county or the globe in order to see a bald eagle fly overhead, a white- tailed deer foraging for food, a bobcat crossing a stream over a fallen tree, or even the occasional blackbear making itself known on the quiet side of a lake. A day when you can watch your child catch and release some fish and appreciate nature together is priceless. Our lakes and rivers are so full of life and beauty, and we can experience it simply by placing ourselves within their midst. IG @vic_torrio Fisherman & AkA Purveyor of War- wick Chocolate www.warwick- chocolate.com Wherever you roam, fishing restores the soul, releasing fish restores stocks, and a wild fish restores our belief in magic.

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