First season of the new project “Release the Mother!” in the lakes managed by JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” has passed. The authors of the project and active participants have a lot to consider before the new season this summer. Responsible fishing and big fish friend – Māris Olte – together with the author of project idea – Matīss Ābiķis – offers to take a look at the behind-the-scenes of the video and shares stories about their adventures and memories in the making of it, until the goal was reached.
Pike won't catch on command
“To go and try to catch the Big Fish in a three week duration is not exactly what you do on your everyday schedule. I am making fishing TV shows for twenty years already. I am well familiar with Latvian waters and I thought that finding a good location with good fish in the beginning of season won’t be a problem,” remembers Māris Olte.
The main goal of the video for “Release the Mother!” was to introduce the target group – anglers – with the new idea and find followers for it. The idea author, Matīss Ābiķis, points out that the planned video must have contained large pikes and beautiful scenes that would give the “right” inspiration. It would be like a game and intercommunication on the way to a common goal – better managed waters that would be richer with anglers’ favourite carnivorous fish – pike, perch. “Not a categorical “catch and release”, but an extended understanding of underwater system. The proportion of young carnivorous fish in most of our waters is normal. Problems for pikes begin when they reach 50 centimetres length. The filming crew witnessed it when they made the video in the last year's spring. The large pike mamas won’t catch on command!” admits Matīss.
Three attempts
The filming of video begun before the official opening of angling season – in private ponds in the district of Alūksne. “In the appointed day boat was in the pond, and in my mind I saw – pikes will bite even oars. I selected summer clothes, so that I would not be with winter hat during summer when video would be aired. Maliena greeted us with 1.5 C degrees and with rain. Yes, I somehow managed to trick my fish, but I was not able to fill myself with happiness and aesthetics, thus was not able to convey it in the video,” remembers Māris.
But as men should, we didn’t give up and the second attempt to capture in video the big pike was carried out in the LVM Lake Lielauce, and now including a drone, which would provide splendid scenes from the sky. However, the plan and reality didn’t go hand in hand this time as well – we did not get large catches, only an adventure for Māris with the previously mentioned drone: “I tested some locations, casted for a while, while drone was flying. And then a funny moment – I got hit in the head by the drone, good that all I got was a bruise on my ear, but the Big Fish, once again, did not come,” laughs Māris.
Then came May, and the third attempt to catch and beautifully capture in video a release of the Big pike in the LVM Lake Kaņieris failed even after we tried for two and a half days. “The Big fish, really approximately 1 metre long, for the first time showed herself in Lake Kaņieris during the day. She lied in a shallow, like a shark and was sunbathing. In the restricted angling area...” remembers Māris.
Actresses have been found
The spring kept cold, the LVM lakes, just like most of Latvia’s lakes were timid in their generosity. Actresses – the large pike mamas – were found in ponds of Tome rural municipality. “Māris with cameraman went to the upper pond, but I stayed in the middle pond. First cast – boom! A disappointment – approximately 4 kilogram zander, next cast – the same. All clear, bye-bye! But in one side of the pond I have noticed a dense, small-leaved water plant cover and few strong plunges along its side. With a large soft plastic lure and an offset lure I started to work on the side of the water plant cover, in the second cast an appearance – I get a glimpse of a broad torso of a pike, but I don’t feel a hit in the rod – she passed by! Letting the place to “settle down” I move to the other side of water plant cover. In the third of fourth cast a quite large pike follows the soft plastic lure up to the shore and bites! Calm down, calm down! I let her to go crazy for a bit, then with a gloved hand I take a hold of her by the gill cover and with other hand, with trembling fingers, I call the cameraman Juris and Māris with the great news. During that day we got 3 pikes – actresses. The largest “star” a 9-10 kilogram pike was caught by Māris,” Matīss remembers this adventure like it was yesterday.
“It’s clear – one needs a specialisation to catch the Large Mamas, they need different lure casting techniques and tactics so that fish could survive. In the idea of releasing pikes – we are only in the beginning of the road. We have to understand and learn the dance – building this duel so that there would be as few casualties as possible. And we will do that,” Māris Olte is confident.
We give a chance to see the behind-the-scenes of video shooting in April and May:
And here is the video itself of the project “Release the Mother!” – The beautiful outcome: