It is one of life’s unanswered questions – what did happen on that fishing trip? For viewers of the popular show Gavin and Stacey, it is a question that confuses, intrigues, and angers us – all at the same time.
It is an event that is the deep dark secret of the West family. It is a question that only three people seem to know the answer to – Bryn, Jason and Dave.
But the rest of us just want to know the truth – it is something we only know snippets of, with every time the conversation coming up, an awkward silence or interruption quickly follows. This leaves us fans wanting answers, of which we have had few.
Whether even writers James Corden or Ruth Jones have a true idea of what happened isn’t known. We hope that one day we get a definitive answer. But until then, we can speculate, and that’s what we’ve done in this article – coming up with four potential theories of what might’ve happened on that fateful trip.
What we know:
Firstly, we know a bit of information to base our theories on. Bryn and Jason were known to have “got on as good as gold” before the fishing trip, but ever since then, they have endured a strained relationship.
As a reminder, here is the scene when we first realised something was amiss. From then on, Bryn and Jason remained at odds – a relationship that had thankfully seemed to repair by the end of the show.
We know some information about what happened. With Jason attempting clear the air talks with Bryn at Gavin and Stacey’s wedding, he mentions that “it wasn’t a big deal. Lots of people do it, it’s not against the law”.
Bryn replies by saying “Jason please, how can I ever forget that look on your face”. At this point, we have very little information to form a theory on.
We see Bryn’s deeply troubled mindset regarding the fishing trip during the barn dance – when Jason’s surprise appearance leads to Bryn hearing the term “fishing trip” muttered four times.
But this changes in season two, when Bryn tells Jason that he told Dave Coaches about what had happened, at a time when Bryn had reached a significant low.
Jason asked if Bryn had said “even about-“, which Bryn interrupted by saying “yes, everything”. Bryn said that Dave was “sickened by the whole thing”. Jason said that what happened was “perfectly legal in this country.”
Bryn asks Jason if he “ever thinks about it”, to which Jason nods, before exiting the room.
The Barry contingent head to bingo, which Dave drives the group to. At one point, the bingo caller calls out “down on your knees”, which results in Bryn, Jason and Dave making awkward eye contact.
Fast-forward to Nessa being in labour, and Dave and Bryn are in the hospital, where Bryn is getting a soup from a vending machine. Dave asks if Bryn is indeed getting a soup, which garners Bryn’s response of fear – where he questions if there is a deeper meaning to that question.
Dave then states “I wish I didn’t know either, but I do. But it’s difficult for me as well, seeing you standing there with a soup like (sic). It sets my mind racing, you know?” Dave confirms that he hasn’t told anyone – stating that “even if I wanted to tell anyone, I wouldn’t know where to start because in my mind it’s a physical impossibility, it defies gravity”.
The next time that the fishing trip is mentioned is in the Christmas special, when Bryn and Jason attempt to bury the hatchet over a glass of Nesquik milkshake.
The fishing trip soon comes up, with Jason asking Bryn about whether or not Dave mentions it. Bryn says “there’s the occasional comment, the odd look. Times when I know that he’s wondering how a man and his nephew could…”, before Jason cuts him off.
Dave walks in on the two of them hugging. When Bryn starts to attempt to discuss “why” the events of the fishing trip happened, he said “it was freezing cold, it was, and when you are that cold…” – Gavin soon interrupts.
By Season 3, there is very limited talk of the fishing trip, with Bryn and Jason seemingly on better terms. Mick does awkwardly mention about the fishing trip during a barbecue, but Bryn shrugs that off.
After the 2019 Christmas special, we were left without answers. The topic did come up, and it seemed that Bryn was going to finally answer our questions. But the children interrupted the story.
The only additional details we got were “it was very dark, in every sense of the word”. Jason added “And can I just point out that we knew nothing about camping”. Once again, we were left with more questions than answers.
With these different quotes in mind, we now move on to our various theories. We invite you to vote at the end of this article as to which your favourite is!
Theory One: Bryn and Jason Had Some Form of Sexual Interaction
The most likely and popular theory is that Bryn and Jason had some sort of sexual encounter on the fishing trip. Jason is of course homosexual, and Bryn is rather “camp” to say the least.
When Bryn mentioned how it was freezing cold, it is possible that the two men huddled in tightly to keep warm, and one thing led to another… It may have ended in a tryst that at the time seemed normal, but in retrospect, is something both parties would like to forget.
These suggestions are in keeping with the clues revealed to us so far. Dave would rightfully be horrified by a man and his nephew engaging in sexual relations, while it would also explain why Bryn and Jason are initially horrified when reminded of the event.
Finally, lots of people engage in such actions, and it may have led to a damaged look on the face of Jason – two further areas that are spoken of. This theory is an intriguing one.
However, an uncle and nephew engaging in such acts would be considered incest – which is illegal in Wales. This may discount this theory.
Theory Two: It is something very, very undramatic
On a more family-friendly note, it is possible that the fishing trip malarkey is blown up entirely out of proportion. Bryn isn’t particularly well travelled, and seems to find significant pleasure in doing activities that for many are commonplace – such as visiting the McDonald’s drive-thru or the golf driving range.
With that in mind, something might have happened that to most would seem fairly ordinary, but in Bryn’s mind, would be something that left him disgusted. It could have involved soup
As Gavin and Stacey is a family-friendly show, there is every chance that this theory will go on to be true in some way – that it was just one big exaggeration that fools viewers.
Theory Three: Bryn and Jason Killed Someone… And Covered it Up
This is one of the more outlandish theories, but it is a possibility. It is possible that Bryn found Jason in a spot of bother, and had to act quickly to save his nephew.
Bryn may have had to take drastic measures to try and help Jason, which may feasibly have resulted in a person’s death. Bryn and Jason may have then covered up the death in an elaborate way.
But we should point out that it isn’t technically legal to kill someone! But it could be argued it was an act of self-defence. Perhaps Bryn’s actions caused Jason to look shocked in a way that Bryn always remembers. It is possible that Bryn was disgusted by his own actions. Dave doesn’t appear to be the type of person that would turn Bryn in. Moreover, Bryn’s actions might have been something that “defies gravity”.
While certainly a far-fetched scenario, it is possible, and Gavin and Stacey can throw a curveball now and then, so never say never.
Theory Four: Jason discovers Bryn is gay
This theory was submitted on a fan fiction site, and takes into account every various clue that has been given, and may as a result be as close as we ever get. The person who wrote this is clearly an avid fan, and went to great lengths to come up with a feasible story.
Firstly, this theory proposes that Bryn and Jason had intended on camping out on the fishing trip, but when it became too cold, they checked into a hotel. They might have had some soup when they got there in an effort to get warmed up.
While Jason headed to the bathroom, Bryn might have stumbled onto an “adult programme” on TV, which was homosexual in nature. When Jason returned, it caused Bryn to jump, resulting in soup flying everywhere, and Jason seeing that Bryn was enjoying an adult programme.
It is possible that Jason found out that Bryn actually is homosexual, and that Bryn as a result was horrified, and determined not to let anyone else know. Whether or not this chain of events preceded this discovery, it is an interesting theory that is potentially accurate. You can see the author’s full article below, it is a great read!
Full article: Stacey’s Pregnancy Chapter 18: What really happened on the Fishing Trip, a gavin & stacey fanfic | FanFiction
Poll
Here’s your chance to vote on this poll – what do you think happened?
The Takeaway
Gavin and Stacey is one of the most iconic shows in history – and the fishing trip is one of the most intriguing elements of the show. We desperately want answers, but it looks like we’ll never get them.
Hopefully a further Christmas special or two will arise, though we aren’t expecting this question to ever be answered – as it could be argued that sometimes these questions are best left to the imagination of viewers.
