The sun blazes overhead and bounces off the water like a thousand diamonds. Other than a bird calling in the distance, there is nothing to disturb the quiet of a hot day on the lake.

For some, baiting a fishing hook and casting out a line is not only a hobby, but a way to relieve stress.

“It’s a release from the world,” Paul Cameron, a senior in environmental engineering, said.

For Cameron, fishing is a hobby he has had for 15 years, and one he enjoys “at least five or six times a month.”

He grew up in Wilmington, where he said he did a lot of saltwater fishing, which he prefers.

But while at school in Raleigh, he said he fishes with friend Jonathan Howie, a junior in mechanical engineering.

Cameron said the two usually fish in farm ponds around Cary.

Like Cameron, Howie is a long-time fisherman and started when he was 8 years old. When he isn’t fishing in local ponds, Howie said he travels to the mountains to fish.

While he has some experience with saltwater fishing in the Florida Keys, Howie said he prefers freshwater fishing because of the convenience and accessibiltiy of options around the Triangle.

And though he said “fish are a lot bigger and stronger” in the ocean, his biggest catch was in Cary — a 25-pound carp.

For Ben Berg, a junior in animal science, fishing was something he grew up doing in a river on his family’s property.

“Back home I live real close to a river,” he said. “I do a lot of freshwater fishing there.”

When he’s at home, Berg said he fishes with his grandfather. In Raleigh, he fishes with friends and said he usually catches crappie, perch and bass.

Berg said he always throws the fish back and called himself “a catch-and-release person.”

The biggest fish he caught was a 12-pound blackfish in North Carolina’s Black River. Berg said he prefers freshwater spots like the river for fishing.

But freshwater and saltwater aside, there is always the question of bait — live or artificial?

Howie said he ties his own flies when he goes fly-fishing, while Cameron said he uses artificial lures.

“Bait depends on what I’m fishing for,” Berg said.

There are a variety of locations for fishing near the University. In fact, students don’t even need to leave campus to find a spot. There is a fishing pier located on Lake Raleigh in Centennial Campus.

“It’s just good, clean fun,” Berg said.