Sue Daignault of Harpswell, shown here on one of her fly-fishing excursions, has authored “A Full Net: Fishing Stories from Maine and Beyond.” Contributed / Islandport Press
Sue Daignault has been fishing practically since she was born, and her fishing adventures have taken her all over. She has gone after bonefish in the Bahamas, red fish in Louisiana and halibut in Alaska, not to mention angling in Maine waters.
The 24-year Harpswell resident has documented her experiences in the newly released “A Full Net: Fishing Stories from Maine and Beyond.” She’ll celebrate the book’s launch Friday at an event at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The book is less about showing off her achievements, Daignault said in an interview, and more about revisiting her fishing journey, from discovering her love for the sport to the many places and adventures it has taken her on.
A book launch for “A Full Net” will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. Contributed / Islandport Press
“It’s not an instructional book, but really was about sharing my passion and hoping that people see their passion, whatever it is,” said Daignault. She added that she hopes to “encourage people to get outside, meet people and to connect with nature.”
While the book may mostly attract anglers, she said, she hopes that everyone who has something they love can connect with its message. She hopes it inspires people to have new experiences and to go after whatever it is that they find exciting.
Fishing for her, she said, is a “great way to connect with friends and family, and it settles things down for me.”
“I get a lot of serenity, and a lot of things happen when you’re out there,” she said.
The title, “A Full Net,” is really about “all the great things that have come my way during my time on this earth. It’s a lot of gratitude for everything I’ve been given. A full net is a metaphor for a full heart,” she said.
The book’s publisher, Islandport Press in Yarmouth, said Daignault’s work will appeal to a wider audience than just fishing enthusiasts.
“We always tell (writers) that to try to get people to read for 200 or more pages, you have to offer something of yourself for them to connect with in some way. She uses great stories to piece her life together,” said Dean Lunt, Islandport’s founder and editor.
“There’s a perception of fishing as sort of a stoic sport, and it’s much more exciting than people think it might be,” he said. “She’s enthusiastic about trying things and getting out there and living life.”
Daignault, who served for 30 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, is a Registered Maine Guide and certified fly-casting instructor. “A Full Net” is her first book and her first big writing endeavor. She took up writing about seven years ago when she wrote an article for her father’s birthday. He encouraged her to pursue more writing, but she waved him off, she said. Then, she found herself coming back to it.
Before COVID, she said, she was working as a self-employed safety consultant, but when the pandemic hit, she had a lot of free time on her hands, which she filled with fishing trips. She also started writing down some of her favorite and funniest fishing stories from over the years and said, “before I knew it, I had about 25 short stories written down from my past, from many places around the world.”
“I’m already working on a second (book) which wasn’t planned, but it just sort of popped out,” she said. “I’ve got more stories to share.”
The book launch Friday will include a discussion with Daignault and noted fly fisher Macauley Lord. They will then take questions from the audience.
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