Actor, writer and producer Heidi Lynch was visiting her long-distance partner, actor Faye Marsay, in the U.K. during the early days of the pandemic but, given the restrictions in place at the time, there wasn’t much for them to do.
But Marsay and her pals were resourceful. There was one fun outdoor activity on offer: fishing.
“They all got super interested in the sport as a safe way to distance yet connect with friends,” Lynch remembers. Lynch noticed something when they were out there, though: “We were the only group of female and non-binary queer people frequenting the ponds.”
Lynch’s search for “younger, queer-focused fishing content” in the irreverent vein of Elliot Page’s “Gaycation” series turned up zip as well. So she decided to plunge right in and, alongside filmmaker Leah Vlemmiks, make a “cool, accessible fishing docuseries about all the anglers you never see on the cover of a fishing magazine.”
“Get Hooked” features Marsay and the couple’s pandemic pals, along with graphic designers Emma Tweddle and Vik Watson, and art director SJ Todd.
“It’s great to bring awareness to the fact that the sport is and can be for everyone, that people from all walks of life can find enjoyment, solace and a community within the sport,” said Marsay (“Andor,” “Game of Thrones”). “I think it’s great to look at the stereotype and then say, ‘No, anybody can find a place here.’”
To film the show, Lynch headed back home to Ontario’s vibrant waterways and recruited a diverse crew of experienced anglers who hail from communities often under-represented in the fishing world.
Dave Furgoch and Rick Klatt want other blind Canadians to know that they can fish, too. Addictions counsellor and Sixties Scoop survivor Frank Leaney advocates for the healing and rehabilitative powers of fishing. Pro angler Lisa Goodier is one of Ontario’s only female guides dedicated to catching the elusive “musky,” also known as the “fish of 10,000 casts.” Demiesha Dennis founded Brown Girl Outdoor World to improve inclusion in outdoor activities for historically excluded communities.
“The representation in ‘Get Hooked’ makes it authentically Canadian or at least the Canada I want to live in,” Lynch said. “I went looking for stories that interested me and ended up with an amazing group of people who can appeal to many soon-to-be anglers who haven’t yet seen themselves represented in the space.”
They venture to a variety of stunning locales, including Algonquin Park, Arnprior and Petrie Island, plus an urban fishing stop on Bowmanville Creek and some carp fishing on Centre Island. “This project will make any Ontarian proud of our beautiful, diverse and travel-worthy province,” Lynch said.
(The show also features a lot of music from Toronto musicians, including composers Neil Haverty and Chris Reineck, dance and disco artist TUSH, pop group Absolute Treat, punk band Bad Waitress, indie pop act Catq and the Manitou Mkwa Singers.) In each location, the visiting Brits learn about a specific species of fish native to the area and the guides teach the style of fishing used to target it.
Goodier noted that, despite her many years of experience leading hundreds of charters, filming her episode marked a record for the most women she had ever taken out on her boat to fish.
As with any fishing adventure, there were some hiccups along the way. Comeback Snacks founder Emily O’Brien appeared on the musky episode; musky expert Goodier told her at the start of the day, “Do not scream when you catch.” And, sure enough, Lynch said, “when Emily saw a big musky-looking face coming toward her, she instinctively screamed and we got it all on camera as the fish escaped her rod.”
But there were moments of beauty, too. Lynch remembers just looking at all the female and non-binary folks in waders gathered around Dennis, an uncommon sight. “(And I’d watch) Demiesha thank the fish and release them with such tenderness,” Lynch said. “It makes you remember to thank nature and not only take what benefits you.”
Dennis remembers being struck by both the rarity and the pleasure of seeing these specific folks out there in the wild.
“There was a pause and I looked back over to the bank and saw, in its wholeness and for the first time, truly saw the crew all together,” Dennis said. “So many pieces of who I am, represented in different bodies, actively moving as a unit to tell a story that might not belong to them, but could inspire others like them to also take up space.”
And for those who just want to see some damn good fishing? Well, there’s always some friendly commiseration, Dennis said: “At least they will be able to bond with other anglers laughing at how we always lose the big one!”
“Get Hooked” is now streaming on OUTtv.com and AMI Plus, and starts airing weekly on AMI-tv and OUTtv on March 24.
