My friend Clarissa is the only person I know who’d be capable of looking after themselves in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Not that I think there’s one on the horizon, but it’s a fun thought experiment to scan your social circles for the most likely survivor. Clarissa wins the title on account of her skillset, which includes building and carpentry, archery, edible weed identification, navigation by the stars and Brazilian jiu jitsu.
I was thinking about this because, as of recently, she’s added fishing to her list of practical accomplishments. In fact, she’s so into it that she’s now in the market for a small boat that she can use for the purpose, and is firmly fixated on comparing rod holders, snapper racks and bait boards.
If anything, I’m surprised she’s not taking up custom marine welding herself, although I’m guessing that part of her secret to being so prolific is dedicating herself to one thing at a time. Many people I know run around picking up little bits of this and that – just enough to distract from their inner knowing that, come the apocalypse, they’ll be completely unprepared. Clarissa, on the other hand, takes the time to become proficient in a craft before looking around for the next thing.
As I understand it, she’s still in the process of becoming a fishing master. That’s the way she sees it, at least, but I think her standards must be pretty high because she seems to be doing pretty well at it. I mean, how much better at fishing can you really get past a certain point? It’s all a bit of a game of chance, isn’t it?
She did tell me that she sees fishing as inhabiting the role of ‘fish whisperer’. I’m assuming that ‘fish whispering’ is about maximising the odds of landing the type of catch you want in the most efficient way. Then again, we’re talking about someone who’s been known to spend the day engaged in conversation with a field of dandelions, so who knows?