Why Hanna is a Great Fishing Partner

Apr 12

Hanna and Pete Robbins at Lake El Salto Mexico

For many serious anglers, exotic fishing travel is primarily about the fishing itself. Yes, we give lip service to the food, culture, scenery and wildlife, but the rest of those factors can’t completely make up for it if you don’t have biting fish. Of course, it helps to have people along with a positive attitude, particularly the person or people with whom you’ll be sharing a boat.

Even when the fishing is exceptional, if you have a bad boat partner – someone who is intolerant, inconsiderate, or just a pain in the ass to fish around – their presence can undermine a great bite. If you head into these trips as a single angler waiting to be paired up, you may be courting danger. If you bring someone who doesn’t get the basics, that can be bad, too.

Therefore, it behooves you to find someone you like to travel with, fish with and room with on the road. I married one such person.

Hanna and I have fished together so much, in so many places, on a wide variety of boats, that our actions and motions are increasingly complementary. Only when I fish with other people – even experienced, considerate anglers – do I realize how seamless fishing with her can be. Here are five ways that she makes my days on the water better:

She’s always ready on time – There’s no searching for her when it’s time to blast off, and only once that I can recall have we had to go back to the dock because she forgot something. That gets both of us extra casts.
She doesn’t want to go in early – I know that she’s outfitted for a wide variety of weather conditions and she’s in good shape to fish. Just because they’re not biting doesn’t lead her to quit. If anything, over the years it has inspired her to stay longer to figure things out.
She’s righthanded and I’m lefthanded – OK, you can’t control this one with your own fishing partner (unless you’re willing to turn down some really good friends) but it works out really well that we cast primarily with the opposite hand. The Anglers Inn boats have big, wide front decks and we both stand up there, me on the left and her on the right, and fire away without getting in each other’s way.
She’s not a spaz in the boat – I know where she is at all times. If she’s in an “unexpected” place, she’ll tell me, “Watch behind you” or “Don’t step back.” There’s little chance I’ll whack her on the head with a giant prop bait or Carolina Rig, and the reverse is true as well. I’ve had lots of partners who are all over the place and it inhibits casting, hook setting and general comfort.
She has the bladder of a camel – We’re not constantly heading ashore for bathroom breaks. She can hold it for a full five-hour morning session at El Salto without getting uncomfortable, although if she wanted to occasionally to hang her lady parts over the side or hit the bank, it would not be a problem.

It also helps that I get to sleep with her – but (thankfully) you don’t have to bump uglies with your fishing partner to be a good teammate.

Thinking about this topic and writing about it has forced me to think about how I can be a better partner to everyone I fish with. Obviously, we all want to get the first shot at the biggest fish, but I know that my best days on the water have been when my companions and I have worked together. When you’re only looking out for number one, you may occasionally benefit, but more often than not you end up focusing more on the person in the boat than the fish you’re both chasing.