Along the waterfront of Pier 7, where the wooden boards creek under the footsteps of tourists and photographers stands 28-year-old fisherman Jakob Smith with his fishing rod and eyes zoned into the water.
For Smith, fishing is not just a hobby but something that he has grown up with since he was a kid.
“I’ve been fishing since a young age of 10,” Smith said. “Something my dad used to do is take me out early mornings to catch some fish and I feel like my excitement of fishing started there.
Smith grew up in Bournemouth, England but would travel with his dad to nearby lakes to get familiar with the area that would later continue his passion of fishing.
“Fishing was just a part of both of our lives,” Smith said. “We would go to docks along the shore and spend plenty of time there.”
For Smith, those hours in the morning with his father helped him build the passion he has for fishing today.
“One thing about fishing is that you learn about patience really quickly,” he said. “Sometimes you may catch something, sometimes you may not, but the beauty of fishing is that you are in a place of your own.”
Having moved to San Francisco a few years ago, Smith understood that he was there to work, so he spent time exploring the neighborhoods and the waterfront areas.
That’s where he found Pier 7, where it reminded him of the early times of fishing back home.
“The moment I walked to Pier 7, I knew that I would come back holding a fishing rod ready to catch some fish,” Smith said.
Pier 7 stretches out into the bay, offering fishermen a wide view of the water and the city skyline, including the Bay Bridge. It’s become one of the most well-known spots for locals hoping to catch fish.
Most of the time Smith arrives at the pier with a simple setup, a fishing rod, a tackle box and some bait. After preparing the bait, he casts the line into the deep water and waits for something hopefully to happen.
For him, the catch is not always the important part there.
“When fishing, it slows down time,” Smith said. “Being out here, I am able to forget about any worries as I am patiently waiting for something to happen,” he said.
One of his favorite parts of being able to fish at the pier is the amount of people walking around who stop to watch the fishermen. They ask questions about the fish they have caught and what is the difficult part.
“Many people, especially kids, ask me what fish I have caught and they will stand there waiting for something to come out,” he said.
Even with the slowness of fishing, Smith feels that the area along the waterfront makes the trip worthwhile.
While the boats pass through the bay, seagulls and pigeons breeze in a circle, the smell of the ocean marks a calming point for him.
It’s nice for me to understand that what I am doing is something I was able to carry from home to where I am now,” Smith said.
For Smith, fishing has remained a constant throughout his life, from growing up close to the ocean in England to bringing that life to the city of San Francisco is something special.
“I’ll always fish and I will continue because as long as there is a fishing rod being held by me, there’s water somewhere and a place to cast a line for fish,” he said.
As the day comes to an end, Smith understands that it is time to reel his line and prepare to start again the next day.
I try to fish at least five times in a week, which is something that I started to do not that long ago but has been special to do.
For a kid from Bournemouth, England the waters off of Pier 7 have become a familiar place for him and shows people that a simple hobby of one’s liking can make a new area feel like home.
