Fishing Above the Dam
Notes on Fishing for Men
“Still water runs deep. Don’t assume from the surface.”
River fishing is different from lake fishing. The primary difference is moving water — current, force, direction. Most major rivers these days have a system of dams and reservoirs along their length. From the surface, a reservoir can look like a calm lake. But it isn’t. The river is still moving through it. The current is still there, just widened and slowed. The depth is not obvious. The force is not gone.
I was reminded of this as a teenager on a scuba diving trip. I tapped on my tank with my knife — just experimenting with the sound — and watched a large Northern Pike rise slowly out of the murky darkness below, drawn by the noise from a depth I couldn’t see from the surface. It was a good reminder: the surface tells you almost nothing about what’s underneath.
On that same trip I discovered a forest of submerged trees, long dead but teeming with life in and around every branch. And a car — driven into the water years before — that had become an artificial reef, its rusted frame patrolled by Largemouth Bass like it was built for them.
None of that was visible from above.
That’s the mistake we make with people. We read the surface — composed, busy, fine — and assume we know what’s underneath. But the depth of a person’s pain, the complexity of their story, the structures that have formed around old wounds — these are not visible from where we stand. It takes time, presence, and genuine relationship to understand what lies below.
When fishing above the dam, know that the water is deeper than it looks. Take time to learn the natural and artificial structures — and fish there. You’ll likely need weight to get your bait down to where they’re actually holding. And you’ll need an anchor of your own, to stay positioned long enough to reach them.
Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s not good. - This is The Way
Here’s the link to the entire series:
https://www.thisistheway.live/t/fishing-proverbs