When people speak about their childhood, town they grew up, things that created the base for their life. They usually describe it as “my roots”. I prefer to say my bottom. I know. It has other meanings too, but that that words have multiple meanings is really common in my mother language which is Finnish. So I don’t mind.
My life was pretty much meaningless child’s play, until I got my first fishing rod from my dad. It was his hand made wooden pole with line, bobber and hook. May was turning to June and as every 6 years old kid, I was excited about my closing birthday which is in the middle of June. I decided to go fishing every day to our home shore until the party. Couldn’t stay around the clock ’cause my ma called me to eat around 16-17:00 every day. It was 27 years ago so there was no cellphones. She yelled, loud! It usually took more than one call to make me stop fishing.
So there I was standing in the shoreline for 14 days. Fishing. The water life was still rich and there was a lot of roaches and perches to catch, but after pulling all nearby fishes in my bucket for some days, it became pretty quiet. When I now think about it, this must be my first actual clear memory. Sitting on a rock holding my rod and nothing happens. Almost too much for a young kid. But I pushed through it and eventually new fishes always came around.
It was my first fishing adventure. My first memory. The beginning of my new hobby which pretty soon became a lifestyle that has lead me through an awesome life. It created a major part of my bottom. I think I appear as really clear water these days which flows over that. Current brings many things to me but only few of em starts swimming against the current to stay there. In the stream of my water life.
Few days ago when I was playing darts in Norway. My friend told me that “ur suchs a fish nerd!” . Maybe that describes me better. My name is Atte Ikkala and I’m a hardcore fishnerd.