Go Fish
As today is National Go Fishing Day, I thought I’d reel you in with puzzles that honor the fourth most popular participation sport in the country!
My husband and I are among the estimated 54.5 million recreational anglers in the US who love spending time out on the water. Fishing looms large in our story. On one of our first dates we went shad fishing together and a steelhead fishing trip to the Hoh Rain Forest in Washington state convinced my husband that he would not let me be the one that got away. We were up before dawn fishing in snow when I got caught getting out of the drift boat and fell in the water. He thought for sure the rest of the day would be ruined, but despite being soaking cold, he was amazed that I never carped once.
I love fishing!
Even as a kid, I loved fishing. I’d saunter off to a local pond every weekend with my Zebco rod. On a family trip to Lake Bomoseen in Vermont I begged my father to take me out in a canoe and he, who was totally grossed out by fishing, would dutifully do so …so long as I baited the hook and took the fish off the line! This 1000-piece Lake & Lodge puzzle by Willow Creek Press brought those days back to me. The poster that came in the box was as big as the puzzle, which was helpful and the pieces had a great fit. Though at first glance this looks difficult with all the yellows and greens, each panel had slightly different shading, making it easy to catch what pieces went where.
If only I’d known about the Fishing Lures displayed on this 1000-piece puzzle way back when, my dad wouldn’t have squirmed as much as those worms I dug up to fish with! Always one to strike when I see a Cobble Hill puzzle, I couldn’t resist the bright hues on this one, although the brown patches left at the end were a bit of a drag! I, like fish, am drawn to flashy colors of lures and flies. In fact, if you ever visited my home, you’d see colorful flies framed and hung in our guest bathroom! One I wouldn’t mind adding to our collection would be the ruby and diamond encrusted million dollar lure MacDaddy Fishing Lures created. I was aghast to learn they actually used it! Luckily, they didn’t lose it, but apparently diamonds are not a fishes’ best friend, as it netted none!
Rustic Lodge, a 1000-piece by Ceaco, also brought back memories, like the time I ducked behind some willows to relieve myself and my husband died laughing as I came running out one side of the trees with my waders around my ankles and a moose came running out the other side! This was a fun build, with a detailed poster and all the different backgrounds on the panels making it easy to get a line on where pieces went.
Since my earlier days, I’ve graduated to fly-fishing and aspire to spend summers living in a conversion van, off-roading in search of the perfect stream. The only concern as we kit out the van? Where to set up my puzzling board and store my puzzles, like this 300-piece called The Silver Trout by MasterPieces, which looks like a place we’d stop during our journeys! The pieces had a tight hold and I was amused by the signs artist Gail Fraser included on the shop. I couldn’t agree more than with the one reading, “The couple that fishes together stay together!”
The Silver Trout by MasterPieces
I wish the prices featured in this 1000-piece The Bait Shop were in line with what I find out in the real world. $2 and $3 for hats are buys that would hook me into going shopping there! True to the Springbok brand, the random fit of the pieces challenged my brain, but the variety of items pictured on the artwork made this easier to tackle than I initially thought and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you’re angling for a good giggle as you puzzle, cast your eyes towards the artwork of Jonny Hawkins, whose artwork has been featured in over 900 publications. The gas mask-wearing fisher in the Crappie Pond, the dogfish chasing the catfish and the “fly” fishing frog lured me into buying Fishing Funnies, a 1000-piece from Goodway Puzzles. The random cuts of the pieces schooled me and if you try to do the border first, be warned – it will result in lots of gaffs! But the amusing vignettes will have you doing a jig!
Cobble Hill’s 1000-piece DoodleTown: Gone Fishing is another one that will cause laughter to bubble up. Did you know that fish can remember musical tunes? My husband has a bass that comes calling anytime he knocks a stick three times on our dock, rushing to be fed! And a group of researchers once fed their fish while playing a specific song before releasing them into the wild. Five months later, the fish returned when the song played at sea! I wonder if it was a disco tune like these fish seem to be enjoying?
DoodleTown: Gone Fishing by Cobble Hill
The last puzzle I landed for this blog was a little one, but I did not throw it back as it was an enjoyable snack puzzle (and one that would travel well in our camper van as it takes up hardly any storage space)! This 150-piece Gone Fishing by Micro Puzzles captured the frustration I felt when fishing in the Bahamas one cloudy day. I was convinced no fish were around and yet as the clouds parted, we were literally surrounded by bonefish, but not a one was biting! I guess that’s why they call it fishing and not catching!
Did you know a fish can actually drown in water? They, like humans, can suffocate if there isn’t enough oxygen in the water. Likewise, I was drowning in choices when it came to writing this blog. I was also partial to these 1000-piece Stained Glass Rainbow Trout by SunsOut and Fishing Bridge by New York Puzzle Co. But if you, like my husband, prefer more realistic fishing puzzles, you may want to get a line on these 1000-piece Cobble Hill puzzles - Freshwater Fish of North America and Brook Trout; these 550-piece Fish of the New England Coast, Fish of the Gulf of Mexico, or Fish of the South Atlantic Coast puzzles by Heritage Puzzles; or these 1000-piece Eurographics puzzles, Freshwater Fish and Salmon & Trout.
Thanks for letting me float all my fishing stories and puzzles by you. Wishing all who go out to celebrate National Fishing Day tight lines and I hope all others will bite on compiling a fishing-themed puzzle!
– Lisa @lisalovespuzzles
My one and only attempt at fishing we used bread as bait. While not my thing I loved some of the more cartoon like puzzles. I’ll leave the realistic ones to your hubby. 😉
I'm right in line with you growing up fishing at the neighbors pond with a cane pole. Unlike you I had to use my Moms garden gloves to take the hook out of the fish. Heaven for bid that it swallowed the hook! I went from there to Lake Erie fishing for Walleye and Perch. Both excellent eating. From there the salt water Keys of Florida. Sailfish, Bone Fish, Sharks, Yellowtail and Mahi Mahi. Thank you for such a great blog. I'm ready to get some fishing puzzles and excursions on the calendar!
I have not fished in so long, but it is a favorite past time! Nice puzzles and a great blog!
