Letter from the editor of HTSI: I went fishing…

Years ago in Cork, Ireland, I worked with a man named Jack Power. In an exceptional piece of nominative determinism, Jack Power was indeed a giant of personality. He had forearms as thick as hams, a head the size of a football, and a temper that could singe your hair. A huge, burly myth of a man, he was surprisingly patient, regularly offering off-the-cuff advice on the basics of journalism and art direction.

However, come spring, he would start to get restless. As the days grew warmer, her gaze wandered to the windows and she became distracted and more distant. Then finally something would break. Walking to her desk one morning in May, she greeted us with a Post-it—”I went fishing”—taped to her computer.

This being the early 2000s, this being Ireland, and this being a newspaper that catered to the ebbs and flows of its community, Jack’s absences were treated with a benign shrug and the sure knowledge that one day he would return, his face of a deep nut color without problems. for SPF protection. For those who grew up near Cork’s rivers and fishing spots, salmon season is viewed with an almost religious fervor: the fishing is considered some of the best and most exclusive in the world. And so it was like each year, a dedicated tribe would open their Post-its and take a leave of absence: they would “go fishing” in their secret eddies and restorative streams.

I was reminded of Jack when I read David Coggins’ account of his fly fishing trip in montana. His description of what drives the desire to fish for trout in these waters recalls the same deep physical need he once observed in Jack. It’s a passion, and patience, that I’ve always been a bit envious of. It also introduces the theme of this week’s issue, “Escape”, in which we have focused on trips that mean something deeper than just traveling. This week’s stories examine those soul-filling adventures.

When Lotta Klemming got lost while working in the fashion industry, she regained her balance by swimming in the Swedish sea. She is now Sweden’s only professional oyster diver, based in Grebbestad on the west coast. As part of her determination to raise awareness about marine farming, she today takes people on coastal safaris where she teaches them about the business and culture of oyster fishing and she cooks and camps with guests. Often, she discovers, field trips must address unexpected personal topics. “There have been a lot of emotions around the campfire,” she tells Victor Johansson. “Things come to the surface.” She makes a convincing case for oysters as a delicacy.a livelihood and unlikely cathartic help.

No need to convince anyone of the cathartic appeal of a two-wheeled adventure. In “Moto Heaven”, Simon de Burton traverses Tuscany on a 1974 Moto Guzzi 750S for an expedition motorcycle enthusiasts must dream of. Meanwhile in “Austral Weeks”, Igor Ramírez García-Peralta pedals through subtropical forests, meadows, glaciers, lakes and arid landscapes of Chilean Patagonia, on a journey that is as transcendent as it is exhausting. However, for those less “adventurous”, we headed to hydra with our cover star, model and actress Małgosia Bela. Because what could be more invigorating or restorative than taking a dip in the Aegean Sea?

@jellison22