The Urban Fisher

Rachid Benmaziane, 34, fishes the industrial canals of northern France, finding sustenance and meditation in unlikely waters.

"People see me fishing in Saint-Denis and think I'm crazy. 'That water's polluted!' Maybe, but so is supermarket food. At least I know where my fish lived.

"I learned fishing in Morocco, visiting my grandparents. Clear mountain streams, traditional methods. When unemployment hit, I remembered those lessons. Paris apartments don't have gardens, but they have canals.

"First attempts were disasters. Urban fish behave differently. They're educated, suspicious. I had to unlearn village techniques, develop city strategies. Now I catch regularly—carp, pike, even zander.

"The Chinese grandmothers taught me about urban foraging. They know every edible plant along the waterways. We trade—my fish for their vegetables. Informal economy, but it feeds families.

"Fishing gives rhythm to empty days. Wake early, check conditions, choose spots. It's meditation, purpose. Better than sitting home feeling useless. The canal doesn't care I'm unemployed. Fish don't check diplomas.

"I've mapped the canals' secret life. Where cormorants nest, where rats run, where homeless camps hide. Also human patterns—dawn joggers, afternoon dog walkers, evening lovers. The waterway is a parallel city.

"My spot near the old factory is best. Warm water discharge attracts fish. Yes, probably some chemicals, but I'm careful. Cook thoroughly, don't eat too often. My grandfather ate traditional food and died at ninety. My father ate processed food and died at sixty. I'll take my chances with canal fish.

"Kids watch me, curious. I teach those interested. Patience, respect, observation. Skills for fishing and life. One boy, Thomas, comes regularly. His father left, mother works two jobs. The canal gives him what I found—purpose, peace, possibility.

"People want to separate city from nature. But nature persists everywhere. These canals, dug for industry, now host wild lives. Herons hunt where barges hauled coal. Life finds a way. So do we."