Unfortunately, a lot of us go through the daily routine that drives our lives without really noticing and interacting with what makes our community so unique. We are missing out on connecting and experiencing the true treasures we have here in New Hampshire.
Not Steve Labbe. Recently he and his son were relaxing, fishing up north and connecting with nature. An eagle dropped to the water to grasp a trout in its talons. A sight we all dream of seeing. And it was right here in New Hampshire.
“When I am fishing, I am unplugged,” says Steve. (Literally, after dropping his phone in the water). Too many people are living in a great place and missing out on what connects us to our past, our environment, and what makes our community so unique.
Steve notes, “When you are fishing in NH, you don’t know what you will get. Strategy is key to success.” Skill and learning come into play. What lures should you use? Do you use live bait, or not? Do you stay still, or troll? What affect does the weather have?
Steve’s fishing partner, Jacque Breton, shares his experience about the influences of weather and thermoclines in the water. (A thermocline is a steep temperature gradient in a body of water, such as a lake, where a layer above and below can have different temperatures.) If you are trolling or paddling, you are moving, which of course affects your lure action. What you do depends on the type of fish you are hoping to catch. If you are in salt water, you’re looking for “rips” where the bait fish are. Just what the stripers like.
“Catching a striper on a home-made fly rod, now that is connecting with the outdoors. I made the rod, and I made the fly.” Steve says fishing takes patience, but the rewards are amazing. Lately he has been using manufactured bait such as I flies and spinners.
“Connecting with the nature around us is amazing. Catch and release is fun but eating fresh fish can be rewarding,” adds Steve, who has even tried lobstering.
Whether you hunt, fish, garden, or farm – growing your own – you are connecting with the environment and people around you. This interaction can carry into business. Look at the microbreweries that have sprouted throughout our local towns. In fact, Steve and Paradigm have worked on three breweries together.
The work part of our lives has always been all-encompassing. But it is easier today than it was for former generations to connect our lives with the interesting hobbies and livelihoods of others. Why not make time to connect? Your life will be more rewarding!
