The Yahara Journal 2020 edition

FISHERMAN IN THE VINEYARD Brent Golden

The trip to the shore, like many before has left only anticipation for peace and quiet. The ferry boat and bicycle rental services are your ticket to a private spot on this island, Martha’s Vineyard. Whether the morning sunrise or evening dusk, the sun seems indistinguishable from the two times. The salt air brings summer closer to the senses as the saw grass grows larger in view. I was standing atop dunes of sand colored like organic sugar, speckled with pebbles much like rogue coffee grounds in the sugar bowl. A hand-me-down tackle box – rusted around the edges and disorganized with years of collected lures and other fishing items – tends to sway as I walk toward the small pathway through the dunes, outlined only by small pieces of driftwood acting as planks.

I always reach out to touch the saw grass as I set up a makeshift camp by the rocks. The serrated edge of the grass dances across my fingertip, reminding me its tendency to cut into my skin. I pull my hand back to re-arrange my belongings, which have been falling loosely as I walk uphill over the soft sand. The waves dance along the shore with rhythmic sounds soothing to the soul. The sun is already shining bright, but the clouds provide me with a little relief once in a while – a welcome interloper on this exposed coastline. Going downhill, now the real beauty of the beach settles in. This beach is not like every beach; it is secluded and untouched. I stand to witness that which many explorers before me have seen, nature in its most comfortable form – feels almost timeless as I descend into a world that could have easily been left the same way from two hundred years ago.

Making my way closer to the ocean, the memory of my grandfather slowly sips into my young mind. I still remember clearly how we used to go fishing on the island every summer weekend. It feels just like yesterday, as if I can still hear his voice echoing from a distance. He is the one who taught me not only how to fish, but also how to enjoy the experience of fishing. His old habit of using squid as bait, then getting extremely optimistic about having a good catch, but finally facing disappointment of going home empty-handed still resonates with me as the smell of the ocean is getting stronger and stronger.

Braving the breakers is the next step, climbing down a steep soft hill and across blazing sands, then the slick, pointy rocks must be properly navigated. With gear in arm the process is anything but quick, and the perfect spot is here some34