Hooks Lines Sinkers

2021

These photographs were made at the Contoocook River Reservoir above the Noone Mills Dam in Peterborough, New Hampshire on Friday, October 8, 2021.

I had been shooting at the reservoir for several days that week, capturing the autumn leaves in their absolute highest color. But, I kept coming back to the dozens of fishing lures caught in the utility lines strung along the entire length of an out-of-use bridge. Too high to be retrieved once snarled, the fishing lines had been snapped and the tackle left behind.

The utility lines serve as an archive of small mistakes. Successful casts and catches are not recorded here. We take those with us, and leave the mess behind for someone else to clean up.

And in these images, I see nature attempting to do that. The sun fades the colors from the bobbers and gradually weakens the monofiliment. Hooks rust. The tiny spiders weave their webs within and around the tangles of fishing line, using our tackle to make catches of their own. But it’s not a battle it will win until we’re long gone. We’ll be back with our full tackle boxes next year, ready to record more failures along our paths to success.

Bob Holt, October 12, 2021

A zine containing these images is available in the shop.

lost fishing lures tangled on two utility lines
tangle of fishing line, lures, and float wrapped on utility line
tangle of fishing line and weight wrapped on utility line
fishing lure and float hanging from utility line
tangle of fishing line, weights, and float wrapped on utility line
fishing float hanging from single strand of fishing line
tangled mass of fishing line and weights wrapped on utility line
faded fishing float on two fishing lines hanging from utility line
dark creature bait hanging from tangle of fishing line wrapped on utility line
fishing floats and weights wrapped tightly on utility line
single float, weight, and lure hanging from fishing line wrapped on utility line
tangle of fishing line and fish-shaped lure hanging from utility line
float and small creature bait on a few strands of fishing line hanging from utility line
tangle of fishing line and lure hanging from utility line
tangle of fishing line, lures, and float hanging from utility line
small fishing lure and two weights hanging from single strand of fishing line
loops of fishing line and single weight hanging from utility line
several fishing weights, lures, and a float tangled in fishing line wrapped around utility wire
single fishing weight hanging from fishing line tangled around utility wire
single fishing float hanging from fishing line tangled around utility wire