Family. Reading. Music. All are things that English teacher Loretta Wylie is known for loving. Her love for fishing, however, may not be very well known by everyone.
“I go fishing because as the transcendentalists tell us, getting back to nature and finding your true self in nature and I’m not kidding now, being serious, it’s just peaceful. It’s sunny, I’m alone. So I can, you know, chill out, think about things that have happened throughout the day and it’s just nice and it’s good exercise because we walk a lot,” Wylie said.
A few years ago, fishing wasn’t anywhere on her radar, but a certain someone in her life helped her to find the hobby that now holds much of her time.
“My boyfriend likes to fish. And so honestly, at first it was just like, Yeah, I’ll go because I wanted to spend time with them and, and then just before I knew it, it was not clever, but I was hooked.” Wylie said.
While Wylie goes fishing nearly every day after school, it can be a real shocker to people that don’t really know her.
“I think most people would be really surprised. To know that’s one of her favorite pastimes because she always looks so nice and put together and doesn’t. You know, it’s not something she talks about. Like she doesn’t look like someone who would be spending all of their time outdoors,” English teacher Kim Linneman said.
Even some of her close friends here at Howell are surprised about this hobby of hers.
“It never has quite meshed with the personality that I’ve known through the years someone that would want to be outdoors and I shouldn’t say be outdoors but just I don’t know just the whole process of fishing doesn’t seem like something that I would have attached to her but I’m glad she enjoys it.” English teacher Mike Storm said.
While it might be unexpected of her to like to fish, she likes it because it helps her to relax.
“It makes me feel like sometimes I know, life just makes me feel like they’re smothering. And just as soon as I get out of the car, and I’m walking towards the water, I just feel like I can breathe.” Wylie said.
It is obvious to her friends that going fishing has a positive impact on her mood.
“I would say yes [fishing makes Wylie happy] that’s probably why she keeps going back to it.” Storm said.
It is also undeniable that she loves fishing and is dedicated to the activity.
“I would say it’s a 10x [how much Wylie likes fishing] because she is willing to go to great lengths to find the perfect fishing spot, including like walking through pretty dense forest and she just spends a lot of time outdoors and loves it,” Linneman said.
Wylie likes to fish for reasons that are significant to her.
“I guess [I like fishing] maybe because it’s like there’s never you never know what’s gonna happen. There’s a freedom, but also a safety, you know. It’s not the act of fishing although I do love that. It’s the whole experience and it’s just I guess, never having been a nature person. It’s just kind of new to me like being out there and kind of being on my own a lot of it,” Wylie said.
