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Like the characters in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot," anglers' existence revolves around preparing for the arrival of a mysterious visitor.
I read Beckett's classic play many years ago as a college student studying English literature. Funny how such a long-ago experience came to mind last week as I read a text message from fishing friend John Breedlove.
This line from "Waiting for Godot" popped into my mind: "Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful."
Breedlove's message described his frustration about waiting for the steelhead trout to arrive in Lake Erie's harbors and his hope that they would indeed be there soon. This is an unusual year for steelhead anglers. The fish typically charge the Erie's tributaries by late September, but they are behind schedule this autumn.
Anglers, meanwhile, wait. Nothing happens. No fish. The wait is awful.
Steelhead anglers are not alone in their waiting.
For certain, "Waiting for Godot" is theater of the absurd - it's characters waiting for a stranger who never arrives - but it does bring context to the anxiety all anglers lug around. Like Beckett's characters, we invest a lot of time waiting and hoping for the arrival of our visitor.
Gamefish are our Godot and the act of fishing is our plot. Anglers' existence is more about enduring the time until we capture a fish.
Widely acknowledged as a significant work of existential literature, "Godot" is a search for meaning, with absurd situations, frustrating lack of progress, and repetition of actions with time seemingly standing still.
Kind of like many of our fishing trips.
Anglers go to the water with high hopes. More often than not, we temper our expectations, rationalize when fish fail to show up and repeat our often futile efforts with only faint hope the outcome will get better.
And yet we go to the water again and again.
John Breedlove, in fact, defies the existential comparison of fishing and Beckett's "Godot." He has removed the uncertainty that characterizes many of those who fish.
He may be waiting. But for sure he will not suffer long. Unlike the outcome of "Godot," the fish will come. And Breedlove will be there to celebrate their arrival.
He stacks the odds for success in his favor. He's caught more steelhead than any angler I know. He succeeds by virtue of his attention to detail and the sheer number of hours he invests in understanding the trout's behavior and the tactics required to bring them to his hooks.
His boat is rigged specifically for working the harbors and rivers of Lake Erie - from his electronics and propulsion system to his rods, reels and lures. Everything is crafted specifically for steelhead trout.
Nothing is left to chance. Soon will come a text from Breedlove: "The fish are in. Let's go." The wait will be over.
Jack Wollitz writes weekly for readers of the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com