When this surgical oncologist is not operating or researching in her lab, she spends her weekends and vacations by the water, catching huge, saltwater fish.

The UAB Department of Surgery is highlighting faculty, trainees, and staff who have an intriguing out-of-the-office hobby. The goal of the series is to connect individuals across the department by helping illuminate out-of-the-office moments and achievements.

Assistant Professor and Co-Leader of Surgical Grand Rounds Ashley Holder, M.D., FACS, joined the UAB Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology in June 2020. Her clinical practice is directly linked to her research interests: the role of transport in cancer—from the effect of drug delivery on treatment response to the function of lymphatic transport in disease progression.

Holder is also a saltwater angler. 

What inspired you to start this hobby?

"My earliest memory of fishing was probably from the age of three. I was fishing on a family trip to Destin, and I caught a sunfish. I remember that I was wearing jelly shoes because I lost a shoe in the water, but I reeled in the fish. That’s really when I became hooked on fishing.

I was inspired by my family to fish because they enjoyed it. My father was a workaholic, so to spend time with him, our family participated in his favorite hobbies, which included fishing.

We went on my first guided fishing trip when I was five to the Ten Thousand Islands in the Everglades. We had a fishing guide who was an army paratrooper who had landed in Normandy in WW2– a Crocodile Dundie type. The people whom I have met fishing are such characters, and that is another aspect of fishing that drew me to this hobby."

 What does participating in this hobby mean to you?

"Fishing is a neat way to connect with my family. While I didn’t enjoy it at first as a young girl since it involved more than eight hours on the water without toys or bathroom breaks, I grew to enjoy fishing over time. Part of fishing is relaxing, but part of is also similar to surgery. You have a specific goal in mind, a strategy to achieve it, and you’re happy when you do.

Also, I met my husband before my senior year of high school, and we used to go on fishing dates. For us, this was very normal being from the Tampa Bay Area. To this day, we still spend a lot of our vacations doing just that– fishing!"

What are the competitions or awards you are most proud of?

"I haven’t entered competitions as an adult, but I entered a casting tournament at a boat show when I was around 13. I came in second, but the first-place winner was an older gentleman who wanted to give the first-place price to me. So, I technically took home first place that day. The tournament was very challenging; we were casting into paint cans inside of hula hoops, and we received a certain number of points based on our precision and accuracy, similar to darts."

Where is your favorite place to fish, and why?

"Really, I enjoy any fishing location with my husband– I’m lucky I married a man who enjoys fishing as much as I do! Panama, Boca Grande in Florida as well as Laguna Madre in South Padre Island, Texas, are great places to fish. I catch quite a bit of tarpon in those areas, which is my favorite fish to catch. Tarpon is a very old, muscular fish that weighs as much as I do or more typically. It is a very physical fight to bring a tarpon to the boat– the fish has such a fighting spirit and jumps out of the water trying to throw the hook.

Recently, I’ve become more comfortable wading while fishing, which makes me feel more part of the ocean. I enjoy going on expeditions without the guide pointing out the fish: to explore, wade, cast, and identify fish on my own. I am a huge catch and release conservationist. I see fishing as a way to unite with nature but also show it respect and ensure other people can enjoy that in the future as well.

Fishing parallels the operating room at times for me. It reminds me of staying calm in the OR. When you’re fishing, whether the boat is on fire, leaking, or driving around other boats to avoid a collision, you need contingency plans and to be well-prepared. I believe that other surgeons would enjoy this hobby as well. I’ve been on lake days with the Chen’s, but maybe the residency program needs a fishing tournament!"

By the Numbers:

"I caught my first tarpon at the ripe age of eight years old. It was 140 pounds. Over my lifetime, I have caught about 30-35 tarpon."

If you would like to be featured in the next Out of the Office Spotlight installment, reach out to surgcomm@uabmc.edu.