diff --git a/packages/ludic.fishing/facts.ludic b/packages/ludic.fishing/facts.ludic
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1df7836e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ludic.fishing/facts.ludic
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# facts.ludic - a fishing fact's record: one no drain holds any more, made fresh (and kept) only when
+# every one is held. A cast, a bite, every crossing and run of a fight is a fact, and a record a fact
+# is never given back (the ludic.wildlife idiom, facts.ludic there)
+function fishing_fact_record(fishing_st: mut FishingState) -> FishingFact {
+  if fishing_st.fishing_fnext[0] >= len(fishing_st.fishing_ffree) {
+    q_unheld(fishing_st.fishing_fact_q, fishing_st.fishing_fpool, fishing_st.fishing_ffree)
+    fishing_st.fishing_fnext[0] = 0
+  }
+  if fishing_st.fishing_fnext[0] < len(fishing_st.fishing_ffree) {
+    let f = fishing_st.fishing_ffree[fishing_st.fishing_fnext[0]]
+    fishing_st.fishing_fnext[0] += 1
+    return f
+  }
+  let f = new FishingFact
+  push(fishing_st.fishing_fpool, f)
+  return f
+}
+# how many fact records have ever been made: the peak held at once, not the facts said
+export function fishing_fact_records(fishing_st: FishingState) -> int { return len(fishing_st.fishing_fpool) }
diff --git a/packages/ludic.fishing/index.ludic b/packages/ludic.fishing/index.ludic
index cc285a58..db737519 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.fishing/index.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.fishing/index.ludic
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import "ludic.base"
 import "kinds.ludic"
 import "ports.ludic"
 import "state.ludic"
+import "facts.ludic"
 import "fight.ludic"
 import "verbs.ludic"
 import "run.ludic"
diff --git a/packages/ludic.fishing/state.ludic b/packages/ludic.fishing/state.ludic
index b572d9c8..72babe6f 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.fishing/state.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.fishing/state.ludic
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ export state FishingState {
   fishing_run_next: float = 0.0
   fishing_dice: Rng = null
   fishing_fact_q: Queue<FishingFact> = fishing_fact_q__new()
+  fishing_fpool: []FishingFact = new []FishingFact   # every fact record made, reused once no drain holds it (facts.ludic)
+  fishing_ffree: []FishingFact = new []FishingFact
+  fishing_fnext: []int = words(1)
   fishing_n: int = 0              # the record: caught, the biggest (cm), a legend landed
   fishing_big: int = 0
   fishing_leg: bool = false
@@ -51,8 +54,8 @@ function fishing_rand(fishing_st: mut FishingState) -> float {
   return rng_float(fishing_st.fishing_dice)
 }
 
-function fishing_say(fishing_st: FishingState, what: int) -> void {
-  let f = new FishingFact
+function fishing_say(fishing_st: mut FishingState, what: int) -> void {
+  let f = fishing_fact_record(fishing_st)
   f.what = what
   f.species = fishing_st.fishing_sp
   f.cm = fishing_st.fishing_len
diff --git a/packages/ludic.fishing/tests/fishing_test.ludic b/packages/ludic.fishing/tests/fishing_test.ludic
index 80aad898..bf510c4d 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.fishing/tests/fishing_test.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.fishing/tests/fishing_test.ludic
@@ -254,4 +254,20 @@ program FishingTest {
     expect(fishing_legend_caught(fishing_st))
     expect(not fishing_active(fishing_st))
   }
+
+  test "fifty fish, their facts drained each time, reuse a handful of records" (fishing_st: mut FishingState, fishing_test_st: mut FishingTestState) {
+    fresh(fishing_st, fishing_test_st)
+    for k in 0 .. 50 {
+      fishing_cast(fishing_st, 20.0, 0.0)
+      facts(fishing_st)
+      hook(fishing_st)
+      facts(fishing_st)
+      play(fishing_st, 12)
+      facts(fishing_st)
+      fishing_stop(fishing_st)
+      facts(fishing_st)
+    }
+    print(`fishing: 50 fish, {fishing_fact_records(fishing_st)} fact records made`)
+    expect(fishing_fact_records(fishing_st) < 30)
+  }
 }