| It was already the end of August. The eyes of the French were glued to two headline news articles in "Le Monde". One of them told of a flood in Paris. It said that the flood, brought by localised heavy rain, had destroyed several 1200 year old buildings. The second article was about a whale, with the headline, gIron Whale Crashes into Fishing Boat".
The night before he left Paris, Shin made a phone call to Godfrey the ghillie ---in Scotland people call fishing guides "ghillies"---. Usually he calls from Japan to find out how the weather is in Scotland before he leaves, but, as he happened to be finishing a shoot in Paris at the end of August that year, he decided to go to Scotland from Paris directly.
Although he was going to be at Godfrey's cottage the following evening and would then see how the weather was with his own eyes, Shin always wants to know the state of the weather before he heads off. When he goes on a business trip, he thinks it a waste of time to worry about the weather before he gets there but, when it comes to fishing, he just has to know. There was no need to worry about the time in Scotland as there was only an hour's difference between Paris and Scotland. Godfrey answered the phone himself.
gHi, Shin. I thought it was about time for you to call me.h
gHa,ha,ha...did you? So, Godfrey, how's the weatherh
gHopeless. No rain at all.h
gOh, come on, are we going to be night fishing again? How about the salmon? No good? h
gWith this weather, Ifm afraid not. The sea trout are fairing a little better though.h
gI've had enough of sea trout. I really want to land a salmon this yearh
gI know. This weather is a shame. But, Shin, you canft do anything about the weather.h
The Scottish have an established reputation for being proud and fussy, and ghillies, they're the worst of all. When they can't offer fishing spots to guests in perfect condition their pride causes them to use expressions like gwell, it's a shame but....h.
gHmmm... no rain, no salmon. I see. Oh, look, Godfrey, do you know that an iron whale is all over the news in Paris? h
gYeah, that's not a whale. It's a red submarine.h
gRed submarine? h
gYes. A Russian submarine that's heading north across the North Sea during the night.h
gIf it's a submarine, why doesn't it dive?h
gIt's one that can't dive anymore. I bet it's a battered old one they can't use in their Baltic fleet anymore and they're taking it up to the North Pole to dump it, or something.h
gIt doesn't sound good, does it?h
gIndeed. The fishermen are getting worried about sea pollution.h
gWill the salmon be all right?h
gDon't worry, the Russians love salmon too. They wouldn't do anything that would affect the Russian way of life.h
gI hope you're right.h
gIs the red submarine in the news in Japan as well?h
gNo, I'm in Paris actually.h
gHo-hoh, are you? You'll be here soon, then.h
gThat's right. I'm gonna come by the usual shuttle tomorrow evening, so please come to collect me, OK?h
gSure. Would you like to talk to Dawn?h
gNo, no, she must be tired what with the baby on the way. Tell her hello from me.h
gAll right, then. Ifll be waiting for you at the usual time, usual place, tomorrow.h
gThanks. See you then.h
That one telephone call altered Shin's mood completely. Checking the weather of one's intended destination is an essential ritual for all anglers, without which angling is impossible. Shin, now raring to go, prepared for his departure.
An angler escapes --- from everyday reality. Fishing is definitely one way of escaping from reality. But as there is no one absolute form of reality in this world, it is safe to say that fishing is an alternative form of reality. However, in this alternative reality, the angler feels time flowing at a completely different rate. Perhaps when an angler fishes ƒ¿-waves rather than ƒÀ-waves might be detected from his brain.
While he fishes he is in a dream-like state. He escapes by fishing and sleeping at the same time. And such a man, who has learnt how to move between these two forms of reality, is called ean anglerf.
The angler is not seeking fish. He is chasing a dream of his ideal self. As he fishes, the angler becomes acutely aware of himself. He tries to see through himself.
Despite hard rain, strong wind and the tug of the river, he is able to cast his rod for hours on end. Is this a case of mind over matter? Or is he being moved by the will of something beyond him?
It is perhaps safe to say that, when an angler fishes, he is in a trance, and in this trance, all of the angler's five senses are concentrated on one point, the fly, floating in the water. It is as if all his nerves have moved to the surface to become a parabola, waiting for a faint signal from the water. And those nerves, concentrated at his surface enable him to see his true self.
Or perhaps, he sees himself as a disembodied spirit floating in front of his eyes. As he fishes in the river, and walks downstream, his mind is always a step ahead of his body. And it is this pull between mind and body that leads the angler ever onward. In an attempt to pursue his future, his ideal self, the person he ought to be, to start afresh in that other everyday reality, he chases his shadow down the river. And then, after this endless journey, he may experience the climax of his life; an encounter with the salmon.
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