Students fishing in the fall of 2024. Photo provided.
Fishing has become a popular pastime for some Northwood students over the last few weeks. Some are veteran fishermen, while others are just beginners. I took the liberty of going to watch the fishing group in order to get some insight into what makes it so enjoyable.
“Fishing is one of my favorite things to do. It is so relaxing for me and relieves any stress I may have,” Cody Betsch ’26 said. “I have been fishing for a long time, and one of the first things I did when I arrived at Northwood was buy a fishing pole. Being from California, the fishing is a little different, and that is something I really enjoy. Usually, we have a group go on Mondays after class because that is our off day from hockey, but days like today are awesome because after the PSAT we have time to go enjoy ourselves on the dock,” Cody added.
“Like Cody said, being from California, it is awesome to get to fish in a different environment,” said Cody’s twin brother Kevin Betsch ‘26. “We couldn’t fly our fishing poles out with us when we moved in, so we made sure to buy new ones when we arrived. I’ve always loved fishing, and I love the fact that others share the same passion as me. It’s been a familiar activity to come back to, even though I’m in a new environment. It would be cool if we could take some boats or kayaks out on Mirror Lake or Lake Placid to see what fish we could catch in the middle of the lake,” Kevin continued.
“I lived in Latvia for most of my life, so I never fished before a few weeks ago,” Anton Malyshev ’25 said. “The Betsch boys and some of the other guys have shown me the ways, and I really love fishing now. I look forward to Mondays now because I know that is the day we get to fish. I just bought my own pole, so now I can go whenever I want, especially with my shoulder injury. It was a great feeling when I caught my first fish, and it made me want to keep coming back to try and catch bigger fish,” Malyshev added.
“Having been here last year, I fished a lot to begin with, and finding other guys that enjoy it too has been great,” Ryan Racine ’25 said. “I fish a lot at home too, in Mooers, NY, so fishing here is very similar. I love teaching some of the new guys how to fish, and I can even learn a little from some of the other guys who have fished for a while. Overall, I’m just happy that we have a good group that likes to go every Monday and enjoy each other’s company,” Racine said.
