Transsexual Fishing: Volume 1

Welcome to the first (preliminary) edition of Transsexual Fishing with Tammy.  :)  Last year I wrote about my July 4th fishing trip with Buddy and talked about how fishing was one of the few things I wanted to carry forward, from my old life to my new one.   In recent years I have gotten away from doing much fishing but I have been wanting to get back into it, now that I can do it as myself.  Last fall I missed the opportunity to fish at the coast with my friend Lisa, as we had planned, due to other travels for electrolysis and bad weather when I finally did make it to the Outer banks.  We are planning another trip there soon but first I will to get started closer to home.  With spring now on our doorsteps, it is time to go fishing.

Last week I ordered 4 new fishing rods and reels (Ladies Spinning Combos) and opening the boxes has inspired me to get out and hit the water.  They are so pretty!  Next week I plan to get my licence and since it will be my first fishing licence with my real name I am sure that will be inspiring as well.  I think I will even get a new, more appropriate tackle box too.  Even though I will probably still use some of my old equipment and mix and match some of the rods and reels, I just felt I needed a new start as far as fishing tackle, to make me feel better about getting back into fishing.

Lots of women fish these days, so it is not unusual at all, but yet this is still one of the very few realms left during transition where I feel some anxiety.  Last year I mentioned that anxiety, which I think is more an concern over fishing alone than just being seen as a female fishing.  I also have to admit to some anxiety over getting read while doing a more typically male activity.  Overcoming these kinds of fears is part of my continuing evolution through transition, and I have to keep up with my credo to not ever let fear hold me back from what I want to do.

Most of the fishing I do here locally involves standing on the bank and casting lures, usually for American Shad that migrate up the river in spring to spawn.  Sometimes the best areas can get crowed and even in the less popular spots, sometimes people will come down and start fishing right beside you.  In the past I hated that because I was such an isolated soul I did not want to have share a spot with someone I did not know, much less communicate with them, but now that prospect seems even more daunting.

Seeing a woman fishing is not uncommon around here, but seeing one of us fishing alone seems quite uncommon.  In fact I cannot remember one instance of a female fishing alone on the river bank.  Of course, I won't be completely alone, my best friend Buddy will be with me and  some of the times my old friends will go with me.  They have told me so, but still I am nervous to go fishing alone with just Buddy.

Buddy checking out an American (White) Shad, a few years ago..

This bring up another possibility, of going with Buddy to one of the more remote fishing spots out of town to fish the bank for Shad.  The issue of safety comes into play now though, and I may have different considerations for fishing alone in a secluded spot now than I used to.  I don't carry any weapons (and I will not) and Buddy is a great friend but I don't think I can rely on him to defend me if I was seriously attacked, although his bark is definitely louder than his bite so maybe he could scare a potential attacker away.  I have probably never been able to defend myself if I am attacked but as a guy it was something that rarely, if ever, crossed my mind and the fact is that a woman alone (even with a dog) in a secluded spot can be a much more likely target than anything I faced before.

Actually I have never even thought about this stuff before, but I guess not only might I be a little more vulnerable now, women can easily be the targets of Any type of attack.  These are things I did not Have to think about before and this brings a new dynamic into the fishing equation.   I do not want to think about these things now, but common sense tells me they need to be taken into consideration, so it will be safety first, wherever I go.  Oh well, let's get back to the fun stuff, the fishing itself. 

So, I am getting some reports that Shad have started biting in the Tar River and some of the local creeks.  The next step, besides getting my fishing licence, will be to put line on all the reels and get the rigs etc. ready.  I only like to use artificial bait to fish, so I am thinking little jigs and spoons will be the best way to catch these fish.   I would take Nightingale fishing with me too, but she cannot be trusted to hang around me off the leash and I don't want to spend all day keeping track of her.  Buddy is the loyal companion that might wander down the bank a little ways, but never leaves my sight and comes when he is called.  Plus he has years of experience fishing and he is probably wondering why I have not been going much for the past several years.

I have long thought it will be cool to have a television show of my own called Transsexual Fishing.  What would Really be cool is if I had such a show and had sponsors that would fly me all over the world fishing exotic locations, taking my friends with me sometimes.  What an exciting, unique fishing show!  But for now I am just going to blog about it a little bit, take some pictures and maybe some little videos.  With any luck there might even be a fish or two in them although I release everything I catch, at least as far as the Shad.  After all, they came all this way to spawn in my hometown so I want to be a hospitable guest, just play with them awhile then let them go back about their business of producing more Shad.  So, I hope everyone will stay tuned as I open the door to a new adventure, a new challenge and the renewal of an old hobby....