Fishing Groupie

       Do you ever surprise yourself by doing or saying things you'd never have guessed you'd do or say? It astounds me at how much life changes us. The Lord brings intriguing people across our paths, new opportunities that challenge us, and lovely surprises that take us to places we'd never have imagined.
       About five years ago when I fell in love with teasing bass and walleye with soft, plastic fishing lures, it would not have occurred to me that I would turn into one of those people who are delighted to get up early on Saturday morning and watch fishing shows on television. Before we cut the satellite service, we even subscribed to WFN, the World Fishing Network. Watching, I identified with all those Canadian fishers who stood solidly in bow riders and fished the weed beds. I became a certifiable fan of Fish N' Canada, the best fishing show on the network. And this is why....the hosts genuinely like each other and laugh together. They are passionate and informed about the sport and will give directions to their favourite fishing grounds. Many shows mention lakes or streams at the beginning of their episodes, but sometimes it is unclear as to whether the body of water is Canadian, American or even farther a field. Not so with Fish N' Canada. They give the precise route they took to get to their site. They even supply the GPS coordinates, should you choose to use them. And best of all, they sometimes feature lakes I've fished myself. On dark, winter days, this takes me right back to breezy, sun-kissed days.
       Once when my husband and I were spending hard earned cash at Bass Pro, we ran into one of the hosts of Fish N' Canada - Pete Bowman. We introduced ourselves and said we were fans. He was gracious and friendly. Last weekend, we attended the "Spring Fishing Show" at the International Center in Toronto and the highlight for me was spending an uninterrupted 30 minutes with Angelo Viola, another one of the hosts of the show, who gave us instruction as to why we should be using bait casting reels instead of spinning reels. All news to me. Made me want to try one. I learned something.
       All this to say that life is good. I'm grateful for new experiences, the opportunity to get up off the couch and outside. And here, in the middle of February, I can close my eyes and hear the water lap on the sides of the rental boat as we drift and cast. Won't be long now till we start planning some northern excursions!


The reason I fish....
Ten pound walleye caught
on the Pickerel River, May, 2009