GET OUT
Small Fish Finds a Fishing Buddy By Kitty Truong
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fter spending a month of my summer running off to Samoa Beach every chance I got to practice casting my line, fishing alone lost its luster. I had so many questions and theories building up in my head, I felt like I was going to burst if I couldn’t talk about it. I wanted to find someone I could share this learning experience with and decided to post on my Instagram asking if any of my friends would be interested in fishing together. As time slowly passed, my anxiety started welling up. Will my friends in their early 20s bother with this “old man” sport? Will they have the time between school and their part-time gigs? My heart leapt when I saw a single reply. Ava Mark was a friend I’d met as a freshman at Humboldt State University and lost touch with when she moved to China to study for a year. She let me know she was back in Humboldt and just starting to pick up fishing, too. And she offered to tag along next time I went out. The rest is history. Mark has been there for many of my first successful catches — from squealing and wrangling a slippery monkey face eel together to flinching and fighting a flopping, spiny rockfish. We collaborate on recipe ideas for our catches, tag team scouting new fishing sites and — the best part — cheer each other on when things get tough, which is often in this sport. I couldn’t have asked the universe for a better fishing buddy. Shortly after I found my footing and started my adventures with Mark, I was picking up some hooks at Pacific Outfitters when someone mentioned they knew a guy named Yeng who was “a pro” and “the guy” to learn angling from. I thought it was just some person trying to hype up his buddy and didn’t pay much mind the first time, but then his name popped up again chatting with people while picking up more gear. Legend has it, Yeng Thao is an incredibly skilled fisherman who knows all the techniques for any kind of fishing,
NORTH COAST JOURNAL • Thursday, April 1, 2021 • northcoastjournal.com
whether it be salt or freshwaAva Mark (left), Kitty Truong and their big fishing brother Yeng Thao. ter, where all Courtesy of Kitty Truong the best local fishing spots are and even has about the same species they have fished crabbing, clamming and foraging skills. He their entire lives or a new species they sounded like some grandmaster of nature I want to catch. To become at least a good had to meet. The last person who brought fisherman you have to be willing to learn him up told me Thao had his own local the life history of a fish. You have to enjoy fishing Facebook group and encouraged learning about their habits, what makes me to join. Shortly after I joined the Humthe gears in their brain tick. Put yourself boldt County Surf and Jetty group online, I in their fin.” His goals as a fisherman have started posting a lot of my technical quesevolved over the years, he says. “I used to tions and noticed Thao regularly providing be all about catching fish, the biggest one, extremely thorough answers, including the most number of fish, out-fish the guy links to how-to videos. I jumped on the next to me. But now it’s about the joy of opportunity to meet him one day when I seeing other people catch fish because I saw someone ask if anyone was willing to know how it feels, so I know the look on teach them how to toss a fishing net and their face is genuine.” Thao offered a lesson near Stone Lagoon. Since meeting Thao, he has become a I had imagined some kind of big, burly kind of big fishing-and-foraging brother to dude in his late 30s, skin tan and cracked Mark and me, and we take the liberty of from the sun and salt water — maybe bugging him plenty with all our questions gruff with a big beard. But at Stone Laand fishing memes. goon, Mark and I met a calm, soft-spoken Fishing is an ancient, universal activity 25 year old just a few inches taller than that knows no boundaries in age, demome . However, right from the start it was graphics or culture, and can bring people obvious the rumors were true. He was together in the name of the most primal incredibly knowledgeable about the area, form of bonding: eating. As disconnected and was reading the tides and even the and divided as we may feel during this seabirds’ movements to see if there were pandemic and in this political climate, I any fish around. Thao, who’s Hmong, grew find solace in witnessing time and time up fishing with his father and the rest of again, not only the selfless kindness our his family. He recently graduated from Humboldt community, but also how many HSU as a wildlife major and he’s a far more people are willing to share a helping hand adventurous eater than me — he will pick to lift me up as an angler, an advocate and sea snails off rocks and eat them right a cook. then and there. The same goes for fresh fish eggs found on eel grass. He says as The ocean doesn’t care who you are long as it’s deemed safe for consumption, — what only matters are your skills and he’ll eat it. respect for it. Because of this, it has led Thao was very thoughtful and clear me to meet all kinds of people I’m proud when explaining how to set up and toss to call my friends. I hope the rest of 2021 a net, and very patient with us newbies. will bring tight lines, good eats and good “You’ll eventually learn to see the patpeople. l terns. Nature has a lot of patterns if you watch it long enough,” he told us. “The Kitty Truong (she/her) is a dedicated best fishermen would tell you that they foodie who’s always looking to catch her are constantly learning. Whether learning meals sustainably.
