Writers and fisher people really have a lot in common. If you love to write or you love to fish, you need to make time from the daily grind to do so, as neither is an integral part of a usual routine. Both also require concentration on the task at hand, and both require patience.
I realized this comparison when Earl and I returned for the second time to Wollaston Lake Lodge, an exquisite retreat in the wilderness of northern Saskatchewan known primarily for the pike, walleye, trout, and grayling caught there. But who knows. Someday it might be known for the novel I worked on there.
Wollaston Lake Lodge has every amenity a fancy resort has: a five star chef, lovely rustic accommodations, a masseuse, and pristine natural beauty unspoiled by billboards or trash along a road. In fact, there are no paved roads. There is no television, no telephones to speak of, and no wireless Internet connection. It’s a real opportunity to disconnect from the plugged in, turned on, hot wired life we create for ourselves at home. At the same time, it isn’t exactly roughing it, as the staff makes one feel pampered. Gourmet meals are served daily; your cabin is cleaned and your laundry is also done daily. The guests are cared for so well that fishing or writing become the primary task at hand. All else fades.
Earl fishes every day, but I opt for the day on-day off approach. On those off days, I am usually the only guest in camp who isn’t in a boat with a guide looking for the “Big One.” So there’s an added measure of solitude that encourages writing. Which is why I lug my computer half way across Canada.
I’ve gone to many writing conferences where all the attendees were committed to their own works in progress, but I can honestly say I am equally inspired by being surrounded by fisher people who leave me alone to commune not only with nature but also my own creative spirit.
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