Regardless of the question, love can be the answer. If we step back far enough, if we broaden our perspective, everything in our lives relates to love. We, humans, are a social species, after all. We nurture and care for our young ones, and we connect with each other through attention and admiration. (Unlike some animals that simply ditch their babies and move on.)

It’s not a surprise that love, humanity’s broadest, most vital topic, has become a cliché at this point. Countless movies, songs, and poems have been created in the name of love, passion, and (the desire for) attention. And although romantic love is flashy, makes big bucks for Hollywood, and fuels the entire wedding industry, this past Valentine’s Day, we asked about a different form of love. A love sparking from passion, or a quiet interest. Something that’s maybe not as flamboyant, but essential in our lives nonetheless. We, of course, asked our Anglers about their love of Fishing Clash and anything related to the game. We weren’t looking for bland praise or anything specific, just stories, small or big, of the game connecting with our players’ hearts.

Our love-related question wasn’t posed in the game itself, but in a specific Fishing Clash community. Our Discord Community. (For anyone reading who doesn’t know what Discord is: it’s an application used for chatting and conversing, an excellent way to keep up with anyone or anything you like. Something similar to ye olde chatrooms. Does anyone still remember those from the dawn of the internet…?) We used that specific space to ask, since Discord is an excellent way to keep our most engaged Fishing Clash Anglers updated with anything new, to exchange feedback, or just goof around! The question was a part of our Discord weekly contest, in which we usually devise an interesting and fun challenge and reward the best participants with some fishing gear or resources.

Our Anglers shared 16 unique entries for this amorous weekly contest. Some were recollections filled with meaning, others poems bursting with admiration. We’ve also witnessed actual love stories: accounts of Fishing Clash connecting people romantically! It won’t come as a surprise that our team were delighted to read all of these, so instead of rewarding just a few of them, they decided to honor each one and send some goodies to those who took the time to pen a few charming words!

These accounts are available to read on the game’s Discord, but we want to share their bits and pieces here, as while posting the contest’s notice, we cautioned our Discord Anglers that we might include their entries in such an article! We’re quoting some of them here to show that Fishing Clash can be something different to anyone casting their virtual rod. Although the game remains the same for all, some value its community aspects, others are here for competitive fishing, while some focus on filling their collections and reading fish trivia. There’s no bad way to enjoy what Fishing Clash offers, but let’s hear it directly from our Anglers!

One of the love letters mentions the educational and globetrotting quality of the game:

“What I love about Fishing Clash is that I get to learn about all the different types of fish and it’s really, really neat to be able to travel all over the world without even leaving your house and seeing all the different levels (…)”

…and concludes that the game helps to unwind after a busy day:

“It’s also just a nice way to relax after work and a hard day, so that’s what I love about it.”

Another Angler looks back to the times of the COVID-19 lockdown and explains how a virtual rod helped when a real one wasn’t on hand:

“Fishing has always been my escape and way to clear my head. When COVID-19 happened, I was put in hospital. I felt so depressed without my hobby. 😦 I found FC on my phone (tried it long time ago) and decided to give it another try. It gave me routine, distraction, connection to people with similar problems. It helped me get through these days. Maybe I am not playing as much as I used to be but I am grateful.”

Most can relate, since the lockdown was a trying time, indeed. However, some of us face health challenges, irrespective of the pandemic. One of our Anglers wrote about the time they needed to convalescence after a serious surgery:

“Fishing Clash means a lot to me as it’s kept me sane while I’ve been off work and unable to get out and do any actual fishing, as I’ve been recovering from a heart operation – so I’ve had a lot of spare time on my hands, and Fishing Clash has definitely helped to fill that 👍👍👍”

Another entry was a love letter dedicated to the game itself, mentioning its captivating beauty, but also the ups and downs of the everyday clash:

“Fishing Clash,

We met for the first time in 2019.
It was love at first sight. We haven’t parted since then. Beautiful and bright locations. There were both victories and bitter defeats. Rises and downs. New acquaintances. New emotions. I hope everything will stay that way.”

Since Valentine’s Day sparked this whole idea, it’s only fair to end with a heartwarming finale! This particular love letter isn’t just an ode to love itself, but shows that true and reciprocated affection often stems from being genuinely grounded in one’s passion. An occurrence that may appear when we least expect it. Finally, it reminds us that people are likely to fall in love with our unique selves, not the mirror-like construct that we become when constantly considering what others think of us. The entry below is quoted in full:

“It was 5 years ago and yet it feels like yesterday.

I took the train every day and it was still the perfect time for my little daily Fishing Clash session to make the time go by faster. Then one evening, in the darkness of the train car, in the reflection of the window, I saw another phone shine and immediately recognized the famous interface of the game that I had in my hands. There, time stopped when I saw you: a real love at first sight. I quickly understood that I had to act before my terminus. I still remember my first words repeated at length in my head throughout the journey: ‘Excuse me but I couldn’t help but see your game: let me tell you that if you are looking for a good team we are recruiting 😉’! You smiled, we talked a little about the game, a little about us… Then we joined the same team, always saw each other again on the same train, shared our best moments, and then one day we kissed.

That was 5 years ago and today we are married, and maybe in 5 years, it is to our son that we will explain how a fishing rod changed our life ❤️👨‍👩‍👦”

It’s probably impossible to top a love story like this one when it comes to Fishing Clash-related recollections. But this author (appearing on Discord as @Jellycoastfish) believes that the game holds plenty of such tales, while many will remain untold. We love fishing, we love the bonds created on our Clan chats, and while chasing common goals during Clan Matches. Sometimes, we love the thrill of the catch; at other times, we just cast our basic fishery lure to reel in a surprise. Regardless of what we’re after and in what form it’s revealed, let’s try to love it completely and unashamedly. After all, love isn’t something that created us once; it’s a force that keeps on building who we are in each moment. Such love shouldn’t be compressed into a single day of celebration.

So, if you’d love to connect with others about the game, maybe you’re looking for a Clan or a crowd to share your latest real-life (or in-game!) catch with, join the Fishing Clash Discord server here. Let’s all become experts in casting love letters out into the wind. Or onto the Discord server, which is probably more reasonable!