Bury Me With My Rod And Reel

Fishing is often considered an exclusively male activity. And there are plenty of Russian superstitions relating to women and fishing. For instance: “If you encounter a woman, especially an older one, it means the fishing will be bad.”^[1] But the reality is that, in the Russian outback, women fish on equal terms with men. And in regions where there are no jobs, and where pensions only suffice to cover the most basic of needs, hunting and fishing are key to putting enough food on the table. So many women fish year-round not for pleasure, but for survival. And yet, there is also pleasure to be found. We visited several Karelian villages and went fishing with local fisherwomen. All were retirees; most all were widows; and all have been saved by fishing. Each in her own way.

Antonina Karlova used to fish all the time with her husband, Lyonya. He died during spawning season. So she thought, “I have a boat, I have a motor, I have a net. I know where to fish. Why should I buy fish?” But it was initially a bit scary to fish alone. So Antonina visited her neighbor, Galina, who had held onto her husband’s fishing tackle when he died.

“Galya, wanna go fishing?”