Fishing the River of Time by Tony Taylor
I discovered this book at an actual bookstore, Basecamp Books and Bites, in Rosyln, Washington, famous for the filming of the TV Series, Northern Exposure. (one of my favorites)
The author writes of his experience of his time alone along the Cowichan River and Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island in British Columbia back in 1968. He stayed in a cabin, Meade’s Cabin on the north arm of the lake, to think, to write, to spend time in solitude. Some forty years later, he returns to the same area at another rented cabin to share his experience with his young grandson.
One cool fact about the village near Cowichan Lake is that Dick Stoker was one of the first founders of the community. Dick Stoker is one of four Stoker Brothers, the most famous being Bram Stoker who wrote the book, Dracula.
Deeper Conversation
Although fly-fishing is the center of the Taylor’s book, this activity becomes the catalyst for a deeper conversation on nature, life and self. For the author, fly-fishing is a means to:
- Review and reflect on one’s life
- Return to one’s roots
- Come to terms with reality
- Live a simple life
The author states,
“It may be called fishing, but a large part of the activity consists of shedding one’s daily worries and letting one’s thoughts roam free. That is what all land dwellers do when they start to fish – enter another world.” (p. 26)“Here in Meade’s cabin…I was thinking about much bigger things and my tools were very simple: a pair of stout boots…and a fishing rod.” (p. 77)
Fishing is about something way more important than fish. It is about understanding nature and understanding one’s self. Go a little deeper and re-connect on both.
Some further insights:
- Life is an adventure searching for answers
- Living simply leads to understanding
- Near rivers, almost everyone forgets about the clock
- Water continually poses questions – to reflect upon life
- To escape technology, go into nature
- The main purpose of the old is to tell stories and keep them as close to the truth as possible
Five Things to Do Every Day to Be Healthy
During the author’s second trip to the Cowichan River, he thought of advice to share with his grandson on five things a person could do every day to be healthy. Instead of telling his grandson this advice, he wanted to show his grandson by example. Not sure how the examples landed with his grandson, but the advice from the author is worth sharing:
- Develop friendships
- Be physically active
- Foster curiosity about the world
- Continue your education throughout your life
- Don’t think about money all the time; instead, offer help and services to all (pp. 131-132)
Numbers 3 and 4 are my favorite. Solid advice to never stop learning. Keep going out into the forest to learn something new – both about nature and the self.
The key message from the author: fishing is analogous to life. Keep both as simple as possible. In other words, focus on that which really matters in life.
What helps you keep focus on what really matters in your life? Fly-fishing? Hiking? Kayaking? Post your thoughts. Would love to hear your advice on how you keep focus on life’s essentials. Thanks.
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